Mass Effect: The Taming of Shepard
by Maya Aodhan
Summary: An A/U story where several familiar crew are N1's at the Villa in Rio de Janeiro. I seem to enjoy taking inspiration from favourite classics and play them out with our favourite crew. This one is based loosely on William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. This comes from a request by Miriari and some lovely readers who wanted more. Love to you all!
1. New Recruits

James Vega whistled as he yanked his duffel from the transport shuttle and slung it onto his back. Sure, getting into the N7 program was a freakin' dream come true, but lookin' at it now? This place was like a damn rabbit warren. He stared around him, momentarily disconcerted. His uniform was rumpled from the flight and he attempted to straighten it a little before heading in the direction of the VI.

"Yo," he activated the VI.

"Good afternoon, how might I be of assistance?" the sexless hologram intoned flatly.

"Need to get to where the new recruits go for N1," he drawled casually, not /quite/ keeping the note of excitement from his voice.

"Could I have your identification please?"

"Sure," Vega typed it into the keypad, and the VI was silent for a moment. He stared around at the shuttles on the move, recruits moving doubletime and knew, just knew, he was in the right place.

"Second Lieutenant James Vega, if you follow the yellow lights provided, Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko will meet you at the barracks. Have a nice day,"

"You got it," Vega grinned and finding the illuminated yellow strip he followed it, going a little faster than his usual stroll. Wouldn't do to keep a superior officer waiting.

* * *

"Second Lieutenant Vega reporting for duty, sir," Vega whipped a snappy salute at the man with Alenko embroidered on his chest.

"At ease, Vega," Kaidan grinned, "We are all N1 here, equal under the eyes of the instructors and bugs to the N2's." He held out his hand, "How was the flight in?"

"Yeah, not too bad, good to be back planetside. Left when I was 17, ain't been back since," Vega shook Kaidan's hand briefly, "So, what's the deal now?"

"You were the last one to get in for our little group, so you're behind the times already," Kaidan grinned, "Come on, let me show you around."

"How many of us are there?"

"All up, seven this iteration,"

"Is that all?" Vega looked surprised.

"Yeah, pretty small, the last N1's are about to go for their N2 assessment, so things are pretty tight around here, no one wants to be the first to fuck up."

"Huh," Vega nodded thoughtfully, "Get many dropouts?"

"Well this last run through, there are only two left,"

"Out of how many?"

"Fifteen," Kaidan replied, and chuckled when he saw Vega's face, "What did you expect, Mr Vega? It's an elite training program. Everything here is a test."

"Better get movin' then, bein' the last one here an' all," Vega frowned.

"Let's get your gear squared away," Kaidan checked a message that had come through on his omnitool, "Come on. The rest of the squad are in the rec room. Time for introductions as these folks will be your family for the next four months."

* * *

Kaidan pointed to the recruits in turn as they sat around on the couches in varying stages of ease:

"Julian Knight. Adept. Bastard has some decent moves," he grinned at the handsome, blonde man on the floor who was using his biotics to slowly lift the items on the coffee table.

"Sarah Raegan. Kick ass soldier and all around badass," a smokin' hot babe with hair coiling down her back in shining ringlets smiled at him with the most beautiful lips Vega had had ever seen.

"Hey," Vega grinned at her, folding his arms across his chest.

"Hey yourself," she went back to spooning what looking like yoghurt into her mouth.

He nearly fanned himself.

"Hale Wainwright," a dude with glasses and not inconsiderable muscle glanced up and flicked a brief salute before returning to his books, "Engineer. We don't hold it against him."

"Kiss my ass, Kaidan," the drawling accent curled around the room dipped in honey and rolled in velvet.

Kaidan just laughed, "The guy over there doing the pushups is Xu-shen Cho."

"Hey," Xu-shen lifted one arm up to wave, and just kept doing his pushups with a shift of his weight.

"Show-off," Sarah drawled.

"Only for you, baby,"

"Where's Ash?" Kaidan glanced around the room.

"She had a call, should be back soon," Hale glanced up again.

"Guys, this is James Vega, he's the last of our crew. Just got him settled. He's bunking in with me for the duration."

"Sorry! Shit! Sorry I'm late," a new voice rippled through the room, accented and soft, and Vega turned. Dang.

"Hey, I'm Ash. Williams," she grinned at the newcomer and held out her hand. She waited. And rose a dark brow.

"Yeah. Hey. Sorry. Hi," Vega tried to cover his complete pause and reached out to grip her hand in his huge paw, "James Vega."

"Pleased to meet you," she smiled brilliantly, before glancing down, "You want to let go there?"

"Oh! Sorry, yep. Absolutely," Vega dropped her hand and watched her as she walked over, slapped hands with Sarah and jumped down on the couch and dug Julian in the ribs to make him drop everything on the table.

"Dude, no," Kaidan leaned over and muttered.

"What?" Vega blinked down at him.

"Just…no,"

"No fraternizing with squadmates?" Vega looked crestfallen.

"Well no, but…"

Silence fell over the room.

"That's why," Kaidan patted Vega on the shoulder, and pointed at a newcomer to the room.

The woman who strode into the room was tall, with straight dark hair tied into a tail at the back of her head. Her faintly Asian appearance was a disconcerting counterpoint to the serious muscle that played on bare arms scrolled with dark tribal tattoos. She didn't have any armour on, but it didn't matter. She looked like she could stomp him into the ground with just the power of her thousand yard stare.

"Ashley," her voice was a gruff, gravelly whip across the room.

Ashley chewed on her lower lip and levered herself up off the couch to follow the other woman from the room, "Yeah, Miri. Be right there."

There was silence until Ashley left the room, trailing the other woman hesitantly.

"Who the hell was that?" Vega asked in a low voice, "Commanding officer?"

"Nope. Commander Miri Shepard. Ash's older sister. She's one of the N1's assessing for N2."

"/She/ is her sister?" Vega flipped a thumb over his shoulder, his eyes open with shock, "But…"

"It's complicated. I think…Ash was the daughter from Shepard's father's second marriage," Kaidan shrugged, "I'm so not asking Shepard to find out. That woman scares the shit out of me."

"What does she do?" Vega rose his brow in query.

"Sniper," Kaidan murmured, as Ashley appeared back in the room, her face like thunder.

"You alright, Ash?" Sarah asked the other woman.

"Yeah," Ashley sunk down onto the couch and grabbed a cushion.

Hale gave her a sympathetic pat, "It's alright. Next month…she will be an N2 and it will all be fine."

Ashley put her hands together in a mock-prayer and stared at the ceiling, "From your lips to God's ears."

"Is Shepard really that bad?" Vega asked aloud.

The crew looked at him. They looked at each other, then back.

"Oh yeah," Hale replied, a serious nod, "She got in because she took down a whole merc nest on her own. She's top hand to hand here and can put a shot through someone's eye at three thousand yards."

"And she's Ash's sister?" Vega had to confirm again.

"Yep."

"Dang."

"Yep," Kaidan clapped his hand on his back.


	2. Purpose of N-1

The afternoon sun set behind three instructors that stood on a low platform, binoculars plastered to their eyes, scanning the field of gently waving weeds and scrub bush in front of them. One tapped keys on his omnitool and scanned the area. It was peaceful. A shot fired and the target to the left of one of the instructors got a burning hole in it. They muttered, and urgently scanned the horizon again.

Another target, this one to the right, went down.

"Goddamnit," one of them muttered, and retrained his binoculars.

"C'mon, Garrus," one of them grumbled, "Isn't this your thing?"

"Hell no," the turian just chuckled from his seated position behind them, "She's all yours."

The third target exploded as three shots hit it in quick succession.

The second instructor lowered his head and shook it.

"Commander Shepard!" the third rose his hand to him comm and his voice echoed over the combat field, "Full points. Clear round."

Miri Shepard stood up, barely fifty feet in front of them.

"How the hell did you get so close, Shepard?" David Anderson squatted down and picked up a piece of the shattered target.

"I'm a sneaky bitch, sir," came the drawling reply, the rifle cocked on her hip.

"Well, you can meet a sneaky bastard, Shepard," came the reply, "Miri Shepard, Garrus Vakarian - a transfer in from the turian military."

She frowned, and strode forward, "What are turians doing in the ICT?"

"Building military relationships and the exchange of training strategies, Commander," the second instructor monotoned.

"Fucking great…sir," Miri booted the dust at her feet, and stalked off to the transport.

"Charmer, isn't she?" Garrus asked drily.

"First one in a couple years that has a chance of going N7," Anderson typed something on his omnitool, "But she doesn't play well with others."

"Can't imagine why not," Garrus looked toward the sniper who sat in the transport, her back against the shuttle wall while she waited.

* * *

Garrus Vakarian walked into the messhall with his turian squad; six of them, very tall, tattooed and tough looking aliens. The room fell silent as they stood near the doorway. The new N1's glanced at each other hesitantly.

"I don't suppose you sasquatches want to get the hell out of the way?" a fierce voice snarled from behind them, and a comparatively short human pushed her way through, "There is a line, join it." She picked up a tray and handed it to the nearest turian. He looked at his CO, who just shrugged. She pointed in irritation, "Dextro slop, looks like it's been served up down that way, princess."

Shepard accepted a tray full of food, a bottle of water and sat down a table that scattered under the force of her glare.

Garrus ran his palm over his mouth, hiding a look of amusement, "You heard her, princesses." His voice grew choked on the nickname.

"Sir…" one of his squad muttered reproachfully.

"Don't look at me," Garrus shrugged, "I thought it was funny."

Shepard glanced up to see some of the new guys she had seen in the rec room earlier that day approach the turians and invite them to sit. She chewed on her bread contemplatively. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the easy manner that Garrus had with his men and disapproval flickered across her features.

* * *

Vega leaned his formidable arms against the tabletop. The turian had introduced himself as Garrus Vakarian, and was steadily chowing through the most disgusting looking slop that he had ever seen. He was watching with fascination, "So, you don't seem afraid of the Commander…"

"Who?" Garrus glanced up.

"Commander Shepard," Vega pointed with his fork at Miri as she silently ate alone at her table.

"Should I be?"

"Everyone else is,"

Garrus looked over at Shepard, dangling his fork between linked fingers. He looked back at Vega and pointed his fork at him, "I think you /should/ be afraid, Vega," he grinned in his turian way, "I think she could chew you up and spit you out."

Vega leaned back, "No argument there, hermano."

"Herm…ano?"

"Means 'brother',"

"Huh," Garrus resumed eating.

"So…why aren't you afraid of her?"

"My people respect strength and ability, Mr Vega, we don't fear it," Garrus drawled.

"Huh, I would like to see that," Vega nodded, "You saw her clear out that table. No one here wants to work with her, she scares the everliving shit out of them."

"No one?" Garrus raised a brow.

"No one," Vega confirmed.

"Hrmm," Garrus murmured thoughtfully.

* * *

Vega stood up at the end of the meal and walked near Kaidan. He slapped him on the back, "Done."

Kaidan looked up, surprised, "Really?"

"Easier than I thought."

"Got one more barrier, Vega," Kaidan reminded him, looking across the mess hall to where Ashley Williams was sitting with a group. Another N1 had his arm slung behind her chair, his thumb lightly tracing her spine.

"Yeah. Jacob Taylor," Vega muttered.

"One thing at a time. Let's distract the older sibling first."

Vega looked uneasily back at Shepard, "Hope the turian is up for it."

"If a six foot seven alien with plates of metal on his body, with the rank of General in the turian hierarchy can't do it…"

"He's a general?" Vega's eyes opened wide.

"Didn't you read the dossier on these guys? We all got one…"

"Dossier?" Vega frowned.

Kaidan patted Vega's shoulder in pity.

* * *

"Wakey wakey, rise and shine!" the shout came over the intercomm system. The recruits blinked blearily and scrambled out of bed, peering uneasily at the window. The sun wasn't up yet, and a sneaking glance at a watch revealed 3am.

"Get your kit on, recruits, and get your collective ass down to the water. Last one there, gets an extra fifty pushups," the instructor left them to scramble.

Kaiden threw a pillow and a grumbling Vega, "Get up, moron!"

"Mmrmmmmnnffng," Vega protested.

A shoe followed, "Get up, dumbass."

Vega snorted and shot to upright, "Shit. What? I'm late again?"

"You are gonna be," Kaidan yanked on his boots and jerked the laces tight.

"Shit!" Vega hauled himself out of bed.

"Hell!" Kaidan shielded his eyes, "You don't wear shorts to bed. Man, that's not cool…"

"What?" Vega looked down at himself, a wicked smile crossing his lips…and started jiggling toward Kaidan, his hips gyrating.

"Dude, no…" Kaidan stood up and backed away, "Put that shit away…"

"Hey are you guys…" Ashley appeared in the doorway, and her voice ended in a strangled gasp, "Nevermind…" And she was gone.

Vega slapped a hand on his brow.

"Crap."

"Nice moves, man," Kaidan drawled, "And you had better show some more," he tugged a shirt over his head and took off, "Or you're gonna be late."

* * *

Vega's legs pumped as he hit the third barrier and charging up its surface he got his hands to the top, he swung his legs over and peering through the darkness, his tired arms trembling he could see Ash slogging through the mud. He waited, and held down his hand. She charged the wall as he did, and flailed for a moment. He grabbed her arm and hauled her up and over with him. They hit the ground with a crash. She scrambled to her feet.

"Come on," she grinned at him, "Let's finish this shit!"

"You got it, princess."

She streaked away, with him hot on her heels and they slung themselves into more mud underneath a low barrier. They had to hold their breaths for long moments while they pulled themselves through several metres of the slick scum. Vega came up gasping and lay on his back for a moment. A hand swam into his vision.

"My turn," Ash held down a grimy hand.

He gripped it and hauled himself out of the sticky mud. And they ran. For the thousandth time in this iteration. On the move for 20 hours. And the finish line was ahead. They weren't the slowest time.

Hale and Kaidan crossed soon after, Xu-Shen and Sarah after them with Julian stumbling in.

Captain Anderson, their instructor, stood before them with a datapad.

"Almost all of you made it in the set time. Williams, Vega, Alenko, Raegan and Knight, you are over the line in time. Wainwright and Cho, you were outside time by 30 seconds with your penalties. You may choose to rerun the course and remove the black mark. Remember, black marks mean an extra run of the Death Trail at 4am," Anderson's voice was faintly singsong.

Hale leaned over and spat a mouthful of mud onto the ground. Cho threw up. Vega, still leaning on his thighs, straightened, "I will run it with you, guys."

Hale glanced up, "You crazy, hermano?"

"Been accused of that," Vega nodded, his lips quirking.

"Yeah, I'm in too," William's stepped forward and held out her palm for Cho to slap, "Fuck black marks."

"You guys are insane," Kaidan drawled, "But I'm in."

Sarah just laughed, "I got energy to burn, amigos."

Hale and Cho walked to the start line, breathing hard. The other guys lined up beside them, no longer two at a time. And as a team they charged toward the mud, wire and boards.

* * *

Shepard stood up in the observation box. She leaned forward to watch the recruits line up for a second time. A tall figure loomed out of the darkness.

"This is the beginning of your training?" came the turian voice, its dual tones reflecting his curiosity.

"Shows leadership, persistence, sheer bloodymindedness," Shepard glanced at the one they called Vakarian.

"The one they called Vega did well. The others might have left,"

"They will all be damn tired tomorrow," Shepard scowled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Maybe what they did here was worth more than being tired for tomorrow?" Garrus regarded the Commander with a curious expression.

"What? Like failing?" Shepard snapped.

"Did you make it through?" the turian gestured down.

"Of course,"

"Did your team mates?"

"No. Three failed that night and when they ran it again, they quit the next day."

"Did you run it again with them?"

"Don't be stupid," Shepard replied gruffly.

Garrus pushed back from the barrier, "I wonder if they might have made it, if you had run with them."

Shepard jerked her head in his direction, "That's not the way it works."

"How does it work?" Garrus rose a querying brow.

Miri Shepard narrowed her eyes, "The weak fall behind. That's what N7 is, weeding out the weak."

Garrus took a step forward and crowded her space a little, "What if it isn't?"

Shepard snorted and didn't give him the satisfaction of backing off. She tilted her head back, "Then it should be."

"What if it's about working out who is a team player?"

Shepard glanced down at the course, where James Vega stood on the top of a barrier and cheered on his team mates while another used a gentle biotic lift to assist another one over.

"They show their weakness by handicapping themselves," Shepard muttered, and turned to depart. Garrus laid a taloned hand on her forearm to stay her departure and spoke softly.

"I think you underestimate them, Commander,"

"I doubt it, General," Shepard pulled her arm away and her boots were heard clattering down the stairs.

Garrus leaned down and watched the team move through the obstacle course, laughter occasionally punctuating their progress.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey, rise and shine!" the call came through in intercom and the recruits dragged their exhausted asses out of bed. Vega swayed tiredly next to Kaidan in the line, who elbowed him sharply as the instructor passed by.

"Today…is the day," there was a certain amount of sadistic glee in the voice of the instructor, "That I particularly enjoy."

Ash made a soft sound to Vega's left, and he flicked a glance her way. Her head was bowed.

"Today is the day that we don't quit until one of you do," the instructor smiled broadly, "Let's see who the weakest is. Chief Riggs, please explain to the recruits this iteration."

Riggs stepped forward and barked out the orders, "You are heading out into the local wildlife to try not to die. You can't take food, water or shelter. You have each other, and the clothes you are wearing right now. Head to the shuttles, recruits! Gogogo!"

* * *

Shepard chewed her lower lip nervously as she watched the shuttles take off.

"You did the same thing at that point?"

Shepard lowered her head and sighed, "Why the hell are you following me?"

"I am not following you, Commander," Garrus Vakarian rested his forearms on the balcony railing, his hands linking together.

"Go annoy someone else!" she protested.

"Sure," Garrus drawled, straightened and headed to the doors.

"Commander Shepard!" Anderson called to her from the end of the hallway, "Briefing. Now."

"Aye, sir," Shepard rubbed her brow and headed off.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Shepard's incredulous tone was hard to mistake.

"I don't tend to make jokes, Commander," Anderson rose a dark brow.

"He isn't even an N1!" Shepard's voice rose as she pointed at the relaxed turian.

"He is a General in their military, Shepard," Anderson's voice grew sharp, "This is part of your final assessment, if you care to argue that, you can come back next year and run the N1 program again?"

Shepard's face twitched, "No, sir," and glared at the complacent Garrus.

"Jacob Taylor will be your intel support,"

Shepard opened her mouth, but discretion took over as the better part of valour. She shut up even as her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, sir,"

Garrus rubbed his jaw thoughtfully and followed Shepard out.

"What is the issue with this Jacob Taylor?"

Shepard glanced up at the turian as she strode toward her quarters, he kept pace with her easily, "Nothing."

"Liar,"

Shepard's stride hitched, and her jaw clenched, "You are entitled to your opinion."

"Hmmm," Garrus stopped walking suddenly, letting her head toward the women's wing.

* * *

The shuttle swung in over the forests and Shepard jumped down, her booted feet striking the ground with a squelch. The rain the previous day had muddied the ground. The turian dropped beside her and she glanced at him. Their comms activated and the tones of Jacob Taylor echoed in their heads.

"Ain't this a thing, Shepard?" his drawling voice sounded amused, "Me telling you where and when to go."

Shepard's hand clenched on her rifle, and she snapped, "Try being a little professional, Taylor."

"Yes, ma'am, absolutely, ma'am," came the laughing reply, "Head through, you are six kilometres from the target site. Remember, Shepard, just count heads, don't shoot them!"

Shepard jammed her hand on the cut button, and muttered, "Oh fuck off, asshole." From the jerk of Garrus' head, she could tell that he had heard her, so she snarled, "Let's go, General. Try to keep up."

* * *

Garrus watched Shepard take off at a steady run. The woman ran like a damn machine, he took a deep breath and began the run after her. The forest was thick and unlike anything on Palaven. It took him a moment to get his bearings. He checked his HUD and adjusted his trajectory. They were about three kilometres from the drop zone when he came upon her, kneeling in the mud, sighting through the trees.

He dropped down beside her, "Any contact?"

"Not yet," she murmured, her visor scrolling constant information.

"Sensors are saying that there is maybe…five or six in residence," the voice of Taylor came through their comms again, "Should be a cakewalk."

"Roger that," Garrus replied quietly, tapping his comm to sever the connection, "He seems very confident."

"He is a fool," Shepard replied sharply, rising to stand. Garrus joined her.

"Why?" Garrus asked again.

"He doesn't have the brains," Shepard tilted up her chin and looked at him steadily with her almond shaped eyes.

"And you do?"

Shepard shrugged, "Enough to know that no one calls an N1 mission a damn cakewalk. And enough to know that you don't talk to a General about team mates."

Garrus chuckled, "I suppose you are correct."

Shepard checked her timing, "Let's go. We have two hours to get into position and begin transmitting."

"Aye, ma'am," Garrus nodded.

Shepard took off again, and this time he ran a little faster, just so he didn't completely embarrass himself.


	3. Intel Issues

Shepard murmured quietly into her comm, "We have a problem."

"Just keep that itchy trigger finger nice and settled," the drawling reply from Jacob was loud in her earpiece.

"Shut up," Shepard murmured softly, "And listen. These guys are Blue Suns."

"What? No, they aren't! All my intel says that they are just a local gang of thugs,"

"Your intel is wrong," Shepard adjusted her scope and swung her rifle to check out the vehicle landing pad, "They aren't wearing the colours, but I have seen a couple of these assholes before. They are Blue Suns."

"Oh come on," Jacob protested, "Out of billions of ugly ass aliens, you manage to recognise two of them? That's bullshit."

"What is the problem?" Garrus' rumbling voice interrupted them over the comm.

"Shepard here thinks that that little buncha schlubs are Blue Suns because she thinks she recognises a couple of them?"

"Which do you recognise?" Garrus asked softly.

"The batarian down on guard duty near the gates. And that human patrolling the inner courtyard there. Seen them both before," Shepard spoke to Garrus.

"That's bullshit," Jacob snarled down the comm, "How the hell can you tell? There are millions of batarians, how can you tell this guy is one you have seen before?"

"Because we fought hand to hand and he stabbed me with a knife," Shepard hissed. There was silence on the comm for a moment.

"Okay, fine, whatever," Jacob muttered.

"Let's just get this intel, General, I've got an itchy feeling about this," Shepard murmured softly, and swung her scope to the rooftops, "Eleven, twelve, looks like three more inside, can't get a decent line on them though."

She frowned and swung the scope down, "What the… Vakarian, what's your exact position?"

"The ridge above the compound, direct east,"

"Shit, I think they have spotted you from the roof," Shepard swung her scope to the walls. The men were receiving serious comm traffic, "Taylor, can you hack into their comms?"

"Yeah, yeah," came the lazy reply.

"Hurry the fuck up, I think they have made the General."

"Then he ain't the hotshit we were lead to believe,"

"Suck it, Taylor."

"Offering? How kind."

Shepard cut the comm with a snarl and used the scope to observe where she thought Vakarian was situated. She could see mercs climbing the cliff face.

"Four advancing on your position, Vakarian,"

"I'm on the move," the turian murmured, "Bug out, I will meet you at the drop point."

"Don't do anything…stupid," Shepard replied. She watched the progress of the mercs, and saw them lift up rifles and start firing. She tightened her grip on the trigger for a moment. It would be so easy, but then her position might be made. These were Blue Suns, not a bunch of slobs from the city trying to play it big. These guys made trouble throughout the galaxy.

But she wasn't going to let the General die on her shift.

Garrus jammed himself behind a tree and took a look out. They were still coming. Damn. He took off again circling away once more, keeping low. He heard the shouts and bolts peppered the trees. Fucking trees. They were both a hindrance and a help. Bolts slammed into his shields, but they held. Keeping the compound to his left, he kept going.

Then it felt like he was hit by a krogan. Heavy weapons. His shields dropped instantly and blue blood splattered over the trees. He couldn't stop the cry that rent from his throat, he was in so much pain.

Shepard heard the weapon fire, and the boom. She heard Vakarian's yell through the comm.

"Where are you? I'm coming," Shepard backed away from the ridge and crouched, "Come on, Garrus. Tell me where you are."

"Get…out…" came the groan.

Shepard activated her omnitool, "Forget it. Gotchya." She honed in on his comm signal.

"Taylor," she activated her comm to HQ, "Get the transport in here. The General has been shot. He's down. I'm going in to get him. I need the shuttle down on our position."

"What the hell did you do, Shepard?" came the reply, "Did you fuck this one up too?"

"Get…the…shuttle," Shepard hissed, and hefting her rifle, began the run to Vakarian's last position.

She could hear the rifle fire, and lifted her own. She stopped behind a stand of trees and sighted through. She could see the turian sprawled in the mud, trying to crawl to cover. He was being peppered by shot. She could see the advancing mercs through the trees, and lining him up, she shot him in the head.

She shifted position when she heard the shouts. Lined up again. Another went down.

"Shepard…" came the groan over the comm, "I told you to get out."

"Ignoring orders, General," Shepard coolly lined up another victim and plugged him through the chest. He fell.

The mercs began to clue in that they were losing numbers. She could hear them shouting their retreat.

"I don't think I got the one using heavy ammo," Shepard snarled, annoyed with herself.

She slipped and slid down the slope toward Vakarian and switched out her sniper rifle for a heavy pistol. She went to one knee beside the turian. He had several holes in his tough hide, and was bleeding profusely.

Shepard activated her omnitool and flooded his system with medigel. He rumbled a groan and closed his eyes.

"Where is that shuttle, Taylor?"

"Inbound, two minutes,"

"Acknowledged,"

"He dead?"

Shepard shut off the comm before replying. She checked the wounds, the medi-gel wasn't particularly effective on turian physiology, but it had at least stopped the bleeding. She glanced up, the turian's eyes were closed.

"Hey, Vakarian…" she shuffled toward his head and patted a mandible. He didn't respond.

"Hey!" her voice was sharper and she slapped him a little harder.

"Ow!" his eyes snapped open.

She sat back a little, "Sorry." She checked the time and startled as his strong hand closed over her wrist.

"Thank you, Commander," his voice was quiet.

"Just doing my job," Shepard pulled her hand away, "If others had done theirs we wouldn't have been in this mess."

She fell silent and held up a hand, "Shit, they are coming back."

She stood, and with a heave, jammed him up against a small redoubt, and with her heavy pistol she took cover. She slipped a grenade, her only grenade out of her suit. She activated it and looked down at him. He stared back with fierce blue eyes. She looked away, discomfited. The bolts began peppering the trees. She waited. And waited. And finally threw the grenade. It exploded and shrieks were heard through the trees. She smiled grimly, and coming out of cover a moment, she used the pistol to fire swiftly at the advancing mercs. They had regrouped and rearmed. Eight now. She took down two of them before they dove for cover.

Shepard looked up as she heard a shuttle. Theirs. She knew the only place they could land was a small clearing about a hundred feet from their position.

"Shuttle Villa, we are under fire. Coming in hot. Assistance would be appreciated," she yelled into her comm.

"Aye, Commander," came the gruff reply. Shepard knelt down beside Vakarian.

"Alright, Vakarian, we gotta make a run for it," she fired over the redoubt again, keeping their heads down. She looped his arm over her shoulder, and with a heave of formidable muscle, she got him standing. He glanced regretfully at his sniper rifle. She saw the look and sighed. Firing again, popping a heat sink, and firing more, she propped the turian on a tree and went for the rifle. She shoved her pistol into its holster and picked up his weapon. It was a lot heavier than hers, and the addons were not Alliance military but she got the gist. She sighted through it, and felt a quiet thrill as the powerful weapon smashed through the bark on a tree to plow into the flesh of a merc. She whistled.

"Uhh, Shepard,"

"What?" Shepard snapped her head around, "Shit, sorry." She ran back to Garrus, yanked his arm over her shoulder again and said, "Keep your head down, stretch." And though slowed by his wounds, he dug for reserves and moved with her, using her strength when his faltered.

She stopped once, using his rifle to make the mercs dive into cover, buying them a little time. They could see the shuttle through the trees.

"Shuttle Villa, fifty feet to your southwest. Incoming. Incoming hot,"

"Roger that, we got you,"

With relief, Shepard could see two armed Alliance soldiers striding through the forest toward them, they rose their weapons to their shoulders and fired into the trees. Shepard took the time to pull Vakarian onward. They made the shuttle and she dumped him onto the floor of the vehicle. He lay there, eyes closed, breathing shallowly. She took a seat, leaned back on the cushions and closed her eyes, the turian's rifle in her arms.

* * *

They landed back at the Villa. Shepard jumped down, leaving the waiting med staff to deal with the General. She levered his rifle over her shoulder, and stalked toward the Intel building.

She glanced across to see her sister watching her from her little group of N1's, but she didn't stop. Covered in blood, blue turian blood, she kept going. She opened the door with a slam.

"Commander Shepard," David Anderson tried to stay her progress with a raised hand. Shepard walked straight past him and up to Jacob Taylor where he stood laughing with another instructor. She bunched her fists.

"Hey. Taylor," she called.

He turned to face her, still laughing. She drew back her fist and punched him square on the jaw. His head snapped back and he collapsed, boneless.

Anderson sighed and put his head in his hands, "Shepard, you are confined to quarters."

Shepard spat on the prone form, "Worth it." She shook out her hand. She had punched him fucking hard. Bet he would wake with a headache.


	4. Pride Goeth Before A Fall

Shepard lay back on her bunk, her hands linked behind her head, staring at the ceiling. A knock on the door had her sigh, then call out, "Yeah?"

"Miri?" the timid voice of her sister called out.

Shepard swung her legs over and sat up, "Come in."

Ashley opened the door and stood there hesitantly.

"Gods, Ash, I'm not going to bite. Close the door behind you."

Ash closed the door, chewing her lip hesitantly. She turned to face Shepard.

"Well?" Miri lifted a dark brow, "What do you want?"

"Why…did you hit Jacob?"

"Heard about that, huh?" Shepard leaned back, her hands linking on her belly.

"Everyone has heard about it. He is saying that you screwed up part of your assessment and blamed him."

Shepard's gaze went icy, "Why don't you run after him like a good little puppy then, and stroke his ego?"

Ashley flinched and looked away from the anthracite eyes, "I didn't mean it like that, Miri."

Shepard sighed and rubbed her brow, "Look, Ash, I know you like the guy. I don't give a damn. I think he's a moron."

"What happened out there, Miri?" Ashley sat next to Shepard.

Shepard stared down at her hands, turian blood dried beneath her nails.

"General Vakarian is in the med bay and people are saying that you got him out of a hot zone,"

"People say a lot of things,"

Ashley growled with frustration, "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because it's none of your damn business. What happened between Taylor and I, stays between Taylor and I."

"What happens if you get kicked out?" Ashley's voice was troubled.

Shepard scrubbed her hands over her face in annoyance, her first indication of the turmoil beneath the surface.

"Miri!" Ash growled, "Come on, did Jacob screw up the intel or not?"

"Just leave, Ash. Don't get mixed up in this," Shepard stood up and opened the door to her room.

Ashley stood, and moved to stand opposite her sister. She stared her long in the face, and Shepard returned the expression, stone faced.

"Fine," Ashley's jaw tightened.

* * *

"Ash, come on, our next iteration is starting," Vega jogged out of the dorms toward her.

"What? We just got back?" Ash stared up at the moonlit night.

"Guess they don't want us to get lazy," he grinned crookedly, even through dark circles scored beneath his eyes, "Hey. What's wrong? Did things not go well with Shep…your sister?"

Ash jogged beside him toward the gym, "Not so great, no. I think Jacob did something."

"I'm sure the instructors have it on record," Vega told her with confidence.

"She's been confined to quarters. She wont talk to me," Ashley's eyes were fierce, "She's so …proud! And Jacob is so charming that he could explain away everything."

"So, we need to talk to General Vakarian," Vega murmured as they lined up for the Death Trail.

"Since none of you quit today, you will continue. Death Trail. Time to complete, 30 seconds faster. If you don't, you will run it again," their instructor shouted the instructions, "You can use biotics. Tech. Anything to help you get through."

"Yes, sir!" the simultaneous shout rent the air, even as tired limbs started limbering up.

"And go…" a timer was set, the huge numbers counting down on a screen above their heads, visible from anywhere on the course.

"That's…a good…idea," Ashley huffed as she ran beside Vega.

"There is your incentive, princess," Vega grunted as he charged up the slope beside her, "The faster we finish, the faster we can help Shepard."

Ashley turned her head briefly to smile at Vega, "Thanks."

* * *

Ashley dropped to her knees as she crossed the finish line, tilting up to the misting rain that fell over them, a few seconds under time. Vega was lying on his back, arm across his eyes, gasping for breath. Knight was on his hands and knees throwing up. Wainwright limped across with a second to spare, joined closely by Reagan. Cho was no where to be seen.

"Where is Xu-shen?" Vega murmured exhaustedly.

Ashley stared out at the course. Xu-shen came stumbling toward the line. His exhausted face was grey.

"Xu-shen!" she cried, "You can do it, come on!"

He came stumbling toward the line and collapsed over it. Vega stared up at the timer. If they hadn't had the time cut, Xu-shen would have made it.

The instructor loomed out of the murk, "Mr Cho, you will run it again."

Xu-shen turned bleak eyes up at the man, "No, sir. I can't."

"Xu!" Sarah cried.

"Shut it," the instructor snapped, "What did you say, Mr Cho?"

"I can't run again. I quit," Xu-shen stood, trembling.

The instructor walked forward and held out his hand, "By making it this far, Mr Cho, you have proven yourself a worthier soldier, but thus no further. Farewell your comrades in arms, soldier, you leave the Villa tonight." Xu-shen shook it and the instructor stepped back.

The squad stood, and Xu-shen stood shamefaced. Sarah went to him first. She kissed his cheek, but he could not lift his eyes.

"I tried…" he began.

"Have pride," she said softly, her hands cupping his face, "It is no insult to pass out of N1 training."

Vega laid a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah man. You did good. Real good."

Ashley kissed him on the temple. Julian and Hale shook his hand.

"Thank you, all of you. I might have quit that first day if it weren't for you all," Xu-shen sighed.

"We all would have if it weren't for each other," Vega gripped the back of Xu-shen's neck, and rested his brow on Xu-Shen's. The smaller man closed his eyes and sighed.

"Thanks, Vega," Xu-shen slapped his hand on his chest, "I wish you well, brothers and sisters. Do me proud."

Ashley rested her hand on Vega's bicep as Xu-shen stumbled toward the barracks.

"Alright then, the rest of you get back to barracks and get some sack time! The next iteration is at 0600," the instructor strode off in the rain, leaving them to limp back to the barracks.

"Is it too late to see the General?" Ash whispered to Vega.

"Are you sure you want to, Ash?" Vega murmured back, "We only have six hours sleep before we have the next iteration."

"Would you not forsake sleep for your sister?" Ash looked up at him.

Vega wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her close in a brief hip-to-hip embrace before releasing her, "Alright, come on. Let's see if we can sneak in."

She smiled at him.

* * *

The medbay was quiet. The only person on duty was a nurse who monitored her workstation with indifference. James Vega strolled into the room, holding onto his wrist.

"Hey there," his smile was full of charm, "I seem to have bunged up my wrist, can you help me out?"

The nurse sighed with annoyance and glanced up. When she caught sight of the soldier, she smiled, "I think I could do that."

"You are a total peach," Vega winked at the woman, before coming around the desk to sit at the chair she indicated. When she went to fetch a medkit, Vega touched a hand to his ear and spoke a brief word.

"Clear."

* * *

Ashley stepped into the General's room and closed the door swiftly, peering out into the corridor until the last moment. When she turned around, she was startled to realise that a bright blue gaze rested steadily upon her form.

"Uhhh, General," she clenched her hands tightly, "I am sorry. I know you are wounded."

"You are Shepard's sister, yes?" Garrus eased himself slowly to sitting and gestured to the seat beside the bed.

"Yes," Ashley hesitantly lowered herself into the chair.

"How is she?"

"She knocked out Jacob Taylor and was confined to quarters," Ashley told him grimly.

He rose a brow plate, "Huh."

"What happened out there, General?"

Garrus folded his hands together, "Before I say, what does Mr Taylor claim?"

"That my sister screwed up. That she revealed her position to the mercenaries and she got you hurt."

Garrus snorted, "Lying little turd."

Ash looked startled, "Sir?"

"I revealed my own position," Garrus shook his head, "The light hit my rifle wrongly and they saw it. When a patrol came to investigate, they found my position. I nearly got myself killed and your sister could have walked out and left me, but instead she came in, risking her life and got me out. And Mr Taylor insisted that they were just a compound of simple local thugs."

"Who were they?" Ashley's eyes were wide.

"Blue Suns,"

"What the hell?" Ashley shook her head, "But…no. Blue Suns here? Why?"

"I don't know," Garrus shrugged, and winced, "Your sister did nothing wrong. Taylor's information was lazy and inaccurate, and now he seeks to cover himself."

Ashley leaned back in her chair and breathed a sigh of relief, "I am so glad to hear you say that."

"But surely, the instructors would have a record of our communications?"

"And who was in charge of those communications?" Ashley replied sharply.

"Good point," Garrus drawled in reply, then leaned forward, "I will speak with the instructors and ensure they understand. Thank you for coming to see me, Ms Williams."

"Thank you, sir," Ashley stood, nodded her head and slipped out of the room.

Garrus leaned back on his bed, and stared out at the night sky thoughtfully.


	5. Punishment

"In your own words, Mr Taylor, what happened?"

Jacob stood at attention, "I informed Commander Shepard that numbers were greater than originally expected. She was confident she could handle it. When they were spotted by the Blue Suns, I called in a shuttle for them. General Vakarian was injured, and the Commander was going to leave him behind. She claimed that he was dead, and it was too dangerous to go in and get him. I convinced her otherwise."

"Really?" Anderson glanced up from his reports, "Where is the comm recordings?"

"I…don't know, sir," Jacob looked troubled, "When I went through our information, I could not find them."

"Such a pity, Mr Taylor," Anderson replied, "Thank you for your assistance."

Jacob whipped up a salute.

"Dismissed," Anderson instructed.

Jacob turned on his heel and marched stiffly from the room.

"Looks like she did a number on his eye," Griggs drawled.

"She's got a good swing on her," Anderson acknowledged.

"You think he is lying?"

"I know he is lying, but its his word against hers. And the N1's like him, and they are scared shitless of her."

"She's going to fail isn't she?"

"If she can't learn to pull a team together, yeah," Anderson rubbed his brow, "She will fail."

"What will you do about her, sir?"

"I think I have a good punishment in mind."

* * *

"Commander Shepard, report to the Death Trail," Anderson's voice came through her omnitool.

"Yes, sir," Shepard rolled out of bed and tugged on her boots. She opened her door and strode out into the empty hallway. She was heading through the main courtyard when she saw Garrus Vakarian waiting for her by the graceful archway that lead to the Trail. She paused a moment, then strode up to him.

"You are better?" she asked of him abruptly.

"I am," the turian nodded, "Shepard, I wanted to thank you. Sincerely." He held out his hand.

Shepard frowned, but took his hand in hers. He held it firm, even as she would have taken hers back.

"Will you not say 'You are welcome', Shepard?" Garrus entreated, "Come, it is not so hard. Say not that it was your job. Say only that your rescue of me was what one soul would do for another when that soul was good."

Shepard frowned, "Look, I don't…" she tried to pull her hand back.

Garrus stepped a little closer, Shepard's head jerked upward in annoyance. His voice was a gentle rumble, and she stilled, her eyes wary, "You are welcome. Tis a simple phrase."

"General Vakarian, this is highly inappropriate."

"You are welcome…" he repeated.

Shepard opened her mouth, her eyes flaring with sudden awareness, and she cleared her throat, "You are…welcome."

Garrus released her hand, and stepped back. She looked startled for a moment, and turned, and ran. Garrus stared after her, his hand flexing on his forearm. Damn.

* * *

"How many times do you think you have run this, Shepard?" Anderson stood staring out over the cross country run that all N1's called the Death Trail.

"Fifty eight, sir," Shepard replied sharply, her gaze flicking over the bane of their existence.

"You kept track?" Anderson rose a brow in surprise.

"Yes," Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and spoke quietly, "Is this it? Did you bring me here to kick me out?"

"Why did you strike Lieutenant Commander Taylor?"

Shepard lapsed into silence and stared at her feet.

"Shepard…" Anderson's voice was soft, "You know what he has been saying. You know that. You need to speak up."

"Why?" Shepard snapped, "You have the comms, you have the word of General Vakarian?"

"We don't have the comms," Anderson replied grimly.

"What?" Shepard frowned and jerked her head up to stare at him.

"They were wiped from the system,"

"Isn't that convenient?" came the snarl.

"We aren't a criminal investigation unit, Shepard. If you are determined to graduate to N2, this is the point where you need to make a decision," Anderson continued, "I would be within my rights to boot you from the program for assaulting Taylor, but…I'm going to set your punishment as the final assessment for your N1. You are going to be given a raw squad. You will be dropped into Bolivia. You need to get them home. You will need to hold them together, Commander. You will also be competing against LC Taylor. He will have his squad with him. You get Vega, Raegan and Alenko. Taylor will have Williams, Wainwright and Knight. You will get weapons, armour and basic kit. General Vakarian will be your observer and Griggs will serve as Taylor's."

Shepard clenched her fist thoughtfully, frowning, "Ash with Taylor?"

"You have concerns, Shepard, you tell me now."

"She can handle herself," there was only the faintest note of worry in the Commander's voice.

"Yes. She can," Shepard nodded, and frowned again, "Wait. General Vakarian? What aren't you telling me, sir? There is no way that turian is just another recruit here for exchange."

Anderson was silent for a long time, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"He isn't a recruit, Shepard. That much is true. I can't reveal more at this time. Just…" he paused, "…just show us what you can do."

"Yes, sir."


	6. Betrayal

"Are they kidding?" Vega muttered at Kaidan as Anderson walked off. The squad looked at each other, "They are going to stick us with the Commander?" He cleared his throat, "Sorry, Ash."

Ash was staring at the ground, "Huh?"

"You alright?" Vega moved toward Ashley, and peered into her face.

"Nothing happened to Taylor…" Ashley murmured, "Not even the General's word helped. This is her punishment. To take us…you…into the bush. This is an easy mission for her. This is…" she gestured in frustration and looked up into Vega's face, "…I didn't help."

"Didn't help with what?" the gruff voice of Miri Shepard interrupted.

The squad stiffened. Ashley jerked upright and Vega spun around.

"Help with what, Ashley?" Shepard strode into the group, and stared at her sister.

"Nothing, ma'am," Ashley shook her head, eyes staring into the middle distance.

Vega studied Shepard's face, and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he saw the brief flicker of pain.

"Very well," Shepard stared around at the squad, "This evening we head to Bolivia, a hundred klicks inland of the border with Brazil. When we hit Corumbá, it's done. Vega, Alenko and Raegan, I hope you are ready for this. They have decided this is my final assessment, and I have no intention of losing." She turned on her heel and marched out.

"That was…a great pep talk," Alenko drawled, "Ooo ya, team. A hundred k hike with Shepard. That ought to be awesome."

Vega gripped Ashley by the shoulder, "You keep in contact, girl. It will be fine. We will see each other at the finish line."

Ash reached up and clutched his strong, solid hand, "Stay safe."

Vega nodded and silently thrilled at her touch.

* * *

Shepard's squad hit the ground from the shuttle. The four activated their rifles.

"Not expecting trouble," Shepard's voice sounded inside their helmets. She wore her visor, and information trickled down in front of her left eye, "But stay sharp. Let's go." She hefted the heavy pack on her back, her rifle at the ready. She bore a sniper rifle as always.

Vega activated his omnitool briefly, tapped a few keys and shut down, taking off after Shepard as she moved through the thick Bolivian rainforest, leaving the LZ behind them.

* * *

ON THE GROUND. STAY SAFE.

Ashley read the message and smiled.

"What's so funny, beautiful?" Jacob drawled, relaxed against the seat of the shuttle.

Ashley shut down her omnitool, "Nothing, sir."

"Four nights in the jungle. What a trip," Jacob chuckled, "And here I thought my final assessment would be hard. We are going to cruise this in and leave Commander Shepard wandering lost in the jungle with her crew."

"Lost?" Wainwright sounded confused, "How would they get lost? We all have the information on our omnitools."

Jacob just grinned, "Oh, I have a sneaking suspicion. The Commander isn't as smart as she claims." He rubbed the mottled colouring on his cheekbone with a rueful gesture.

Ashley tapped her wrist unit thoughtfully, but decided not to activate. She looked up at Jacob and smiled brilliantly.

"With you leading us, sir, I just know we will win."

* * *

The squad collapsed on the ground when Shepard called the halt.

"Holy shit, Lola," Vega called out, "You are a machine."

"What did you call me?" the hard voice came across the clearing where Shepard was scanning the area with her omnitool.

"Uhh, shoot, sorry Commander," Vega levered himself upright, "Put that down to mental exhaustion."

"Let's not look on my question as a polite request, Vega," Shepard drawled, the warning sharp in her voice.

"Lola was…she was my sister, ma'am," Vega fidgeted with his rifle.

"You see me like a sister, Vega?" Shepard asked, her voice deceptively lazy.

"Uhh, not really, ma'am," Vega replied uneasily.

"Get the tents up," Shepard ordered, "I will take first watch." She turned her back on the squad so they didn't her uneasy expression.

* * *

HEY, WHERE ARE YOU? Vega typed.

The reply came through quickly.

FIFTEEN TODAY. TAYLOR HAS ALREADY HIT THE SACK. WE ARE JUST CHILLING BY THE FIRE. WISHING YOU WERE HERE. ALL OF YOU.

Vega replied: ME TOO. STAY SAFE.

YOU TOO.

He leaned his head back on the pillow of his arm and stared at the sky.

* * *

"Going well, Commander," the voice of Garrus Vakarian sounded through Shepard's comm.

She touched her ear, and glanced around in the dark, "Where are you?"

"I'm watching over you, Commander. You have a good squad. They actually kept up,"

"I slowed down," she muttered in reply.

The chuckle reverberated in her head, and she scrubbed her face to prevent the smile.

"Your sister is pretty tough. When she snuck into the hospital to speak to me, I figured…"

"Wait…she did what?" Shepard's voice hardened, "Why would she do that?"

"She was worried, Shepard," the voice soothed, "She knew in her heart you wouldn't have left me to die out here."

Shepard's voice was dry, "She should have stayed out of it. I had it handled."

"By punching Taylor?" the voice was amused.

"No, that was just satisfying."

The laughter echoed again and she couldn't help the smile, "Goodnight, General Vakarian."

"Goodnight, Commander Shepard."

* * *

Vega watched the sun rise over the trees. His position on the outcrop was well chosen.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice caused him to start.

"Yes, ma'am," Vega nodded, and rose to his feet. Shepard stood behind him, sniper rifle propped on her hip.

"You like my sister, don't you?" the question came matter-of-factly.

"Uhh…" Vega hesitated, glancing down at his feet.

"It's not appropriate for N1's to get involved on course," Shepard spoke sharply, "Remember that, Mister Vega. If you get caught, your time here is ended."

"Yes, ma'am," Vega's face was flushed.

"If she feels the same way about you; don't get caught," Shepard shifted her rifle, "Bugging out in fifteen. Get your kit and down some chow."

"Yes..uh…ma'am," Vega was bewildered.

* * *

Day two passed much the same. Hard slog through some tough country. Raegan brought down a couple of birds and they had delicious roasted meat that night. The mood was merrier, though once again, Shepard set herself on first watch and did not join them.

Vega sent the message: TRAVELLING OKAY?

There was no reply.

* * *

"Shepard," Garrus spoke to her. Shepard leaned back against the rock outcrop, tamping down hard on the flicker of relief she had in hearing his voice.

"Hey," was her simple reply.

But there was no relaxed chatter, "I have lost contact with Griggs."

"What?" Shepard straightened.

"Look, I'm sure its only to do with these mountains. But I was assured that these comms wouldn't be affected,"

"Has Taylor checked in?"

"No," Garrus' voice was worried. Shepard rubbed the back of her neck. Her sister was out there.

"Keep trying, General, I need to know my sister is alright."

"She will be alright, Shepard," came the quiet assurance.

There was silence through the comm for a long while, and Shepard shifted her rifle so it sat across her knees, "General?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Who are you really?"

"What makes you think that I'm anyone other than I say I am?"

"Because let's call it gut instinct," Shepard stared out in the darkness, "This bullshit story about the turians and humans doing a…swap? That's crap. You aren't N1 material."

"That hurts, Ms Shepard," came the protest.

"I looked up your record," Shepard continued flatly.

"Ah,"

"So who are you?"

"I can't tell you,"

"And you ask us to trust you?" Shepard's voice was scornful.

"No, Shepard, I'm not asking that, but I am hoping for it."

"With all the lies, how do you expect that to take place?"

"No one has lied exactly, Shepard. There just hasn't been the entire truth yet."

"Bullshit, General."

A soft laugh, "You make me want to be an honest turian, Shepard. But I can't…not yet."

"Goodnight," Shepard snapped grumpily.

"Goodnight, Commander," the turian's voice was warm, "And don't worry, I'm watching over your family too."

Shepard leaned her head back on the rock.

* * *

Day three dawned red and roiling. Thunderstorms crackled on the horizon. Vega scrubbed his tired eyes. Shepard had been pushing them hard and rest stops were few and far between. Everything about him ached. As the campsite came alive, Vega stood slowly and cricked his back.

Shepard was consulting between an omnitool and a map she had yanked from her pack.

"Vega, Alenko, Raegan, get over here," she snapped the order while they were breaking camp. The three dropped what they were doing and moved toward her. She spread the map on the ground.

"Can you see a problem?" Shepard squatted and linked her hands together between her knees.

The squad frowned. Vega brought up his map on his omnitool and glanced between the two.

"We ain't where we are meant to be. We should be on the other side of that ridge," Vega pointed at the arching cliff-face that coiled through the jungle.

Shepard raised a hand to rub her brow, "Yep. We are about four klicks south of where we need to be," she pointed at a position on the map, "See that there? That there is the Blue Suns compound."

The others fell silent.

"I'm not sure I understand, ma'am," Raegan broke the silence.

Shepard's face was grim, "We came awful close to losing."

"Won't Taylor be ahead of us?" Alenko traced the route that Taylor would likely have taken, along the river, about eight klicks north.

"This morning, he is," Shepard picked up the map and folded it carefully, "We are running this old school, people. Our omnitools aren't worth shite with this false info in them, and without communication with the Villa, we can't update them. Vakarian, you there?" she touched her earpiece to activate the connection.

"Yes, Commander."

Shepard activated the speaker, "General, I'm here with my squad. We have been sent off course by the wrong information on our omnitool maps."

"Are you certain?" the turian's voice was troubled.

"Five klicks to our south is that Blue Suns compound. If we had kept going thinking we were in a safe zone, we might have ended up in a whole lot of trouble."

There was quiet on the other end.

"And we have lost contact with the other group," Shepard admitted, watching Vega. He went pale.

"Ma'am," he began.

"General," Shepard interrupted Vega, her dark eyes on his warningly, "At this point, I am going to reconfigure our route to Corumbá."

"Do you want me in, Shepard?" the turian asked quietly.

She glanced around at the squad, shifting uneasily, "Nope. We are solid. Keep us informed if you get hold of Griggs or Taylor."

"Very well, Commander," Vakarian cut the connection, and Shepard looked around at her squad. She picked up her rifle.

"Well? Come on," Shepard drawled, "We still have to kick Taylor's ass. Not planning on letting him beat us, are you?"

Vega hesitated a moment, letting the others move out of earshot.

"Something the matter, Vega?"

"I tried to contact Ash last night. She didn't reply," he told Shepard in a low voice.

Shepard glanced at him, and frowned. He braced, ready for the onslaught.

"I want you to keep trying. If you hear nothing my 0900, tell me," she jerked her head, "Get packing."

* * *

"Ma'am?" Vega caught up with Shepard as she knelt, scanning the area through the scope of her weapon.

"Vega," Shepard acknowledged him.

"Nothing."

Shepard lowered her weapon and sighed, "Shit."

"Ma'am?"

"If I'm wrong about this, I'm out," Shepard said to him gruffly.

Vega went to a knee beside her. He could see Alenko and Raegan moving a little south to scout forward.

"Wrong about what, ma'am?"

Shepard rubbed the back of her neck, "Nothing."

She touched her comm, "Alenko, Raegan, come in."

"Yes, ma'am?" Kaidan's voice came over the comm.

"I'm updating the map. We are heading north, intercepting the other squad's last known position. I've gotten twitchy, the other team shouldn't be out of contact."

Vega sighed in relief. Shepard rose to her feet and slapped him on the shoulder, "On your feet, soldier. If you thought you were tired before, I'm about to make you want to drop on your feet."

"I'm with you, ma'am," Vega's jaw was set.

Shepard looked at him curiously, and hefted up her weapon.

"You made the right decision," she heard in her comm.

"I don't care what you think," Shepard muttered in reply, breaking into a run.

"If you are wrong, you are out of N1, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"And you are going anyway?"

"Yes."

"Then you are doing the right thing. Good luck, Shepard."

Shepard's lip curled in a snarl.

* * *

Shepard knelt at the campsite and touched the cold ashes. She swiped the back of a hand across her brow and turned her head to regard the squad as they stumbled in, breathing hard.

"Six hours," she muttered in frustration and rose to her full height. She turned her head, "But small. They didn't keep this going and it burnt out before dawn."

Raegan knelt and touched some tracks, "These aren't Alliance issue, ma'am."

Shepard glanced down at her feet, the rippled boot tread was unlike their own. She rubbed her lip thoughtfully.

"They overlay the others," Alenko called from his position near the edge of the clearing.

Shepard took a few moments, before saying, "They are being pursued."

"What do we do, ma'am?" Raegan asked, her eyes widened.

Shepard lifted her rifle across her chest, "We catch up." She touched her comm, "Vakarian. I need you. Come in."

* * *

Darkness had fallen.

The squad crept up through the shadows and studied the scene. They had come on Wainwright and Knight's bodies a few hours before. Shot through the back of the head, hands tied. More blood on the trail.

Shepard touched her comm, "Got eyes on Williams and Taylor. She's tied up and gagged by the tent. Taylor…" she gritted her teeth, "Taylor is speaking with one of the men like they are buddies."

"Calm, Shepard," the voice came through on her private comm, "I need him alive."

"What?" Shepard snarled, her voice a whisper but the invective harsh.

"He's Cerberus," Garrus revealed.

Shepard lapsed into silence and with eyes closed tight, she leaned her forehead on her hand, "Vakarian…"

"I'm telling you the truth. He's Cerberus. Trust me, Shepard."

"Why the fuck should I trust you?" her voice was fierce.

"I'm a Spectre, Shepard," Garrus' voice was flat.

Shepard lapsed into silence.

"Shepard?"

"Fuck you, Vakarian."

"I'm sorry, but…"

"Forget it," her voice was a growl, and she opened her comm, "Drop the others. Vega, get in, get Ash. Do not take down Taylor."

"Ma'am, but he's…" Raegan's voice came through the comm.

"Follow fucking orders, Raegan," Shepard snarled.

"Yes, ma'am," Raegan retreated.

* * *

Vega watched the six men hovering around the campsite. He could see Taylor talking to one of them, and he looked…relaxed. Vega clenched a hand into a fist. He stared across at Ashley. Her eyes were closed as she leaned back against a tree. She was tied hand and foot, and gagged. The order came through not to take down Taylor and he jerked his head.

"Shepard…" he murmured.

The reply came through on his private channel, "Kneecap, Vega. I don't want that fucker running anywhere."

"Done," Vega growled, and flexed his shoulders.

"On my mark…" a pause, "Mark."

The man Taylor was talking to, dropped with a hole in his head. A second went down. A third was lifted by biotics…Kaidan. A spray of bullets from Raegan. And Vega ran. He ducked and weaved as bolts tried to track him. He wasn't sure, but he thought it was Jacob Taylor firing. He slid in beside Ashley, grabbed her and hauled her behind the trees with a flailing of limbs.

Ashley gasped, crushed under his weight for a moment. She shoved against his chest, "Hell, Vega, you weigh a tonne."

"You're welcome, beautiful," Vega winked down at her, then glanced up, "We still have to get out of here." He pulled a knife and sliced the wrist bindings. He handed her the blade and hefted the rifle he had strapped across his chest.

"Not that I'm not grateful…but why are you here?" Ashley whispered, and yanked his shotgun from its position on his back.

"Your sister got a gut feeling," Vega glanced back and touched her chin with his thumb.

Ashley's lips twitched, "Really?"

"Yeah,"

She smiled, "Well then, let's take down these assholes."

"One asshole we can't shoot."

Ash frowned, "Why not?"

"Don't know, Commander's orders."

"Shit. He killed Hale and Julian," Ashley's eyes misted.

Vega reached out and touched her. She wrapped her hand around his, "Ready?" he murmured.

"Yeah."

They came out of cover and fired.

* * *

Jacob lay on the ground, screaming, clutching his knee. Vega stood over him and holstered his weapons.

"Sorry, man," he shrugged, "Commander's orders. If it were up to me, I would have put a bullet in your head." He squatted, and peered into Jacob's twisted face, "You fucked up, buddy."

Shepard stalked down into the campsite like an avenging angel. She tossed Raegan her rifle, and strode up to Taylor. She hauled him up with a fist and stared into his tear streaked features.

"Shepard…" he croaked.

"You are fucking lucky you had a Spectre on your trail, Taylor," Shepard snarled, "If it were me, I would have caused you pain. So very much pain before the shuttle could come and find us."

"S…spectre?" Jacob's voice trembled with fear.

"You are under arrest, Jacob Taylor," Garrus Vakarian came out of the darkness.

Shepard threw him at the turian's feet, "He's all yours." She spat in the mud, and took her rifle back off Raegan.

Kaidan called, "I just raised the Villa, ma'am. They are sending a shuttle."

Shepard rubbed the back of her neck.

"Good," her voice was flat.

She turned and strode to where Vega was standing with Ashley. She walked toward him and held out an open hand. He looked at her for a moment, and then took her hand hesitantly, "You did good."

Before Vega could reply, she stepped up to Ashley and wrapped an arm around her neck, yanking her into an embrace.

"You scared the shit out of me," Shepard murmured into the younger woman's hair.

"Sorry…" Ashley murmured and wrapped both arms around Shepard's torso, "Gods, Miri…I was so frightened."

Shepard stepped back and curved her palms around Ashley's face. She kissed her on the forehead.

"You had me watching over you, little sister."

Ashley hugged her fiercely for a moment, before stepping back. She looked over Shepard's shoulder at Vega, and went to him. She wrapped arms around his solid torso and he enfolded her in a strong embrace. And there might have been tears.

Shepard stepped back, and away. She moved back toward the squad and snapped out orders to clear up the campsite of bodies, checking for idents.

"Shepard," Garrus spoke through her comm. She glanced over to see him standing guard over Taylor across the campsite, and turned her back on him.

"Shepard, I'm sorry," his subharmonics were rich with apology.

"Go to hell."

"I couldn't tell you."

"I don't care."

"Shepard," the voice was sharper now.

She turned and stared at him, and strode across the campsite. She jammed a finger into Garrus' armoured chest, "You spun this whole thing. You put Ashley's life in danger. You knew what he was. What he might do. And you let him take her out here. Was it you who deleted the comm files from the system? You who changed our omnitool maps?"

"I got a copy of the comm files and then deleted them. But I didn't change your maps. I wouldn't have endangered you like that…"

"No," Shepard slammed a fist on his shoulder, "You almost got me kicked out of N1. You utter asshole. When this is done, I don't want to see you again. Ever."

"Shepard…" Garrus tried to capture her hand.

"No, you made me think…" Shepard pulled away, "…but no. It was all pretend. All lies. I was wrong about you. You make a very good liar, Spectre Vakarian."

"It wasn't all lies," Garrus protested.

"I don't care," Shepard's voice was hoarse, "Stay the hell away from me."

She turned and stalked off into the darkness.


	7. The Next Iteration

"Congratulations, Commander," Anderson held out his hand. Shepard shook it with a bland expression on her face.

"Your squad couldn't stop raving about you," Anderson continued, leaning on the balcony railing, "And the Citadel has sent through their thanks in your assistance in capturing Jacob Taylor."

Shepard was still silent, "Is that all, sir?"

Anderson turned to look at Shepard, leaning his butt against the railing.

"Yes, Commander."

"Thank you, sir."

Anderson sighed as he watched the stiff young woman walk away. She had passed into N2 and would be offplanet by the end of the day.

"I'm sorry, General, she is still angry at the deception," he spoke to the turian who sat in silence in the shadow of the pillars. Garrus rose and approached the instructor.

"I'm not surprised," Garrus was weary with regret, "I'm sorry that I had to use your program this way. It was a regrettable circumstance. I do appreciate you taking on the turians from my squad though. They will benefit from the time. It is a good idea, and a good program. In the next year we should see the first humans working with the turian military."

Anderson held out his hand, and Garrus shook it, "It is quite alright, General. I suspected something was off, I'm just disappointed we did not pick it in Taylor."

"He was a charming man," Garrus shrugged, "But not, I think, nearly as clever as he thought."

* * *

Tiredness ran to her very core. She had broken ribs, been bruised, knocked out, starved, tortured, done HALO drops, zero grav manouvres and now she stood staring out at the harsh landscape of Palaven. The turian homeworld. N5. So close. She scrubbed a hand across her face, the muscles playing through her bare arms. She had dropped any spare fat she had at the end of N1 - which wasn't much. She was the fittest she had ever been, and with the half dozen other N5's, they had been put through their paces again, and again, and again.

Now she was heading to the turian military for a month long iteration of vicious hand to hand combat. The kind that aliens with hard metal plates and talons on their fingers indulged in just for fun. She was looking forward to the challenge.

And she refused to think about a certain lying bastard turian Spectre.

* * *

"Your quarters for the duration," a turian instructor pointed at the room with the half dozen beds.

Shepard wandered in and dumped her duffel on a bed. Her omnitool beeped. She checked it and gave a faint smile. Ash.

WE MADE IT! VEGA, ALENKO AND I ARE ALL HEADING TO N4! HELL YES!

Shepard typed a reply, and sat down on the bed, she leaned back on the hard pillow and closed her eyes.

"Not wanting to explore, Shepard?" Shaan, a scary strong vanguard, queried.

"Nope," Shepard replied to him, "I'm going to catch some rack time."

"No sweat."

Shepard gave a vague wave and was already drifting when she heard her omnitool sound another message. She groaned. What more could Ash have wanted to say?

She opened one eye and keyed in her access. And frowned. And sat up. Anger flickered across her hard features.

"Oh you have to be fucking kidding me."

She swung her booted feet onto the ground and got up to stride toward the door. She stormed out into the common room they had passed through earlier. It was mostly empty, bar one. A tall turian stood by the windows, staring out at the bleak landscape.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Shepard demanded fiercely.

Garrus turned to look at her, "Hello to you too, Commander Shepard. Congratulations on getting to N5."

"No thanks to your efforts," she snapped, "Why the hell are you here the very day I come to Palaven?"

Garrus' expression was pained, "I was turian military before I became a Spectre."

"So what?"

"Hand to hand combat? I …uh…was one of the best," Garrus turned to stare back out of the window.

Shepard narrowed her eyes, "So what? You will be an instructor?"

"I am /the/ instructor, Shepard," his was faintly apologetic, "I know that you will have an issue with me, but I'm afraid you are going to have to tolerate my presence for the next month."

"What about your work as a Spectre?"

"I have leave from the Council to do this," Garrus shrugged, "Once in a while, I get a break, and I just closed a case."

Shepard raised a hand and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You do that when you are worried," he spoke again.

"What?" she glanced up, puzzled.

"You rub your neck," he tapped her hand with a long finger. She jerked back.

"Don't touch me," Shepard snapped.

"You are going to have to get used to it," Garrus shrugged lightly, "Because for the next four weeks, we are going to be doing a lot of it."

Shepard raised her eyes to the ceiling, and sighed, "Someone up there hates me, don't they?" Without another word to him, she stalked from the room. She wasn't in the mood to sleep any more. She wanted to hit something. Hard.

* * *

"Hand to hand combat is not just beating the hell out of each other with fists and feet," Garrus spoke in his calm, assured way, "Pair up, I want to get an idea about what I'm working with. I catch anyone using biotics or tech, you can forget being here, might as well pack your bags. We will work with those later."

Shaan and Shepard met eyes and nodded. In black pants and tanks, their knuckles wrapped, they faced up, bowed their heads in respect and began to circle one another. The mats were soft under their booted feet.

Shepard circled, staring at Shaan's shoulders, solid and strong under the simple tank he wore. Garrus circled the room, watching everyone. There were grunts and thuds. Shepard and Shaan grappled with smooth deftness, each evenly matched. While others fell and were helped up with chuckles and groans, the two fought on, the one not able to get advantage over the other.

Shaan got Shepard's arm locked, but with a deft boot to the knee, Shaan released her. They punched, kicked, defended, feinted with steady intensity. Shepard finally snuck in a vicious short punch to Shaan's ribs and he grunted, his torso buckling. She took advantage, kicked his feet out from under him, and with a chop to the chest, Shaan went down. Shepard grinned coldly, kneeling on his chest, one fist ready, "Give up?"

"Shit, Shepard," Shaan groaned, "One day I will kick your ass."

Shepard rose to her feet and held her hand out for Shaan to grab. He did, and she heaved him up. And realised that everyone was watching them.

"What?" Shepard asked, puzzled.

"Damn, Shepard," Carlos Van Der Giel called out, "Remind me not to piss you off."

Shepard cleared her throat and rubbed her neck in embarrassment, and her gaze was drawn to the enigmatic expression of Garrus Vakarian. She jerked her head away and focused on Carlos, "Get faster on your feet, Carlos, then I won't be able to kick them out from under you."

She stalked over to stand with the rest of the squad, Shaan limping beside her. Carlos gave her a high five, and slightly startled she returned the gesture.

"Alright, N5's, if you were fighting anyone other than human, you would be dead by now," Garrus interrupted their self congratulatory celebrations. He stepped onto the mat, "You need to learn to be faster. Look for the gaps in armour, natural and artificial. The throat, the joints - crush, shatter. Your joints," Garrus held out his hand to Shepard. She briefly hesitated, but joined Garrus on the mat. He took her arm and slid his hand from her shoulder to her hand and lifted her arm.

Shit. Shepard tried to prevent the goosebumps that rippled over her skin, and was grateful that Vakarian's attention was on the squad.

He gripped her wrist and turned it, "The bones of the human wrist are fragile. Compare it to the turian." He lay their arms side by side. His arms were long, elegant but strongly plated, "I could shatter Commander Shepard's wrist with a twist. But she could not do the same to me." He touched the inner skin of her elbow, and she cleared her throat. He glanced at her, blinked, and turned back to the squad, momentarily distracted.

"Your elbows are also fragile, but here is a weakness for turian and krogan," he rotated his arm, and revealed the smooth flesh of his inner elbow, "We have no natural protection here. Shepard, hold my wrist steady, and demonstrate…slowly…how you would break my arm."

Shepard gripped Garrus' wrist, holding his hand firm against her chest, and using her bodyweight to bring her other hand up and over his elbow, using her foot to automatically lock against his leg to stop him shifting. He glanced back, "Good." Briefly his fingers held hers to steady himself as he straightened.

"Partner up, practice that take down from a punch. Like Shepard demonstrated, use your feet," he touched her lightly on the shoulder, and noted that she didn't move away from him. Shaan stepped up to take Vakarian's place.

He leaned forward, "Do you and the General know each other?"

Shepard narrowed her eyes, "Why do you ask?"

Shaan just grinned, "Nothing."

"Shut up," Shepard muttered, "And pay attention." She threw a punch at Shaan's face to distract him.

* * *

Shepard groaned and held an icepack to her shoulder. She turned her head to look at Shaan. His good natured face was pale, and bruises were already showing up on his arms.

"Those bastards are solid," Shepard muttered, "Its like getting hit with a metal pipe."

"I would nod, but I hurt," Shaan complained.

Carlos drawled from the next bed, "I think my brain hurts."

"That's just because you had to use it to think, Carlos," Shepard sniped, her voice rich with amusement.

"Careful, Shepard," Natylia Griffin groaned from her recline on the floor, "That was almost a joke."

"Bite me,"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that General Vakarian wanted to take a big bite out of her," Shaan's laugh cut off with a groan as a semi-solid pillow whapped him in the face.

"What? What did I miss?" Natylia protested, sitting up.

"Didn't you see the way he looked at her?" Shaan defended the boot that followed with a flick of his biotics, "These two know each other."

Shepard leaned back on her pillowless bunk and put her arm over her eyes, the olive hued skin already patterning dark with bruises, "He nearly got me thrown out of N1."

"What?" Natylia scrambled up and jumped on Shepard's bunk. Shepard peered at the woman, plain, blonde and one of the toughest sentinals she had ever served with, "Come on! Tell!"

"He came to the Villa," Shepard shrugged, "I was on one of my assessment missions and another N1 tried to mess it up. Vakarian covered up what Taylor did, and if the instructors hadn't been fair and given me a second chance due to lack of his word against mine, I would have been thrown out."

"Taylor? Jacob Taylor?" Shaan sat up, frowning, "He was after him? Why?"

Shepard shrugged, "Taylor was Cereberus."

"Those xenophobic assholes," Natylia scoffed, "So come on, what happened between you and General Vakarian."

"Nothing," Shepard protested, holding up her hands, "Honest. We just..talked a couple of times."

Natylia leaned forward, leaning her forearms on Shepard's bent knee, and rested her chin on her arms, "Honey, if Shaan is right, and he usually is, the smarmy bastard, that turian wants to do more than talk with you."

"Oh, don't be fucking ridiculous," Shepard snapped, pushing Natylia off her legs, "He knows what I think of him."

Shaan and Natylia just glanced at each other and grinned.

"You can both fucking shut up,"

Natylia just laughed as a half melted ice pack slapped her in the face and slopped onto her lap.

"I rest my case," she tossed the pack back onto Shepard's chest, who sighed and applied it back to her shoulder.

* * *

Shepard walked stiffly out onto the shaded balcony. Her eyes were shaded from the glare of the Palaven sun. She leaned on the railing and took the rare moment of peace to enjoy the harsh landscape. It was beyond beautiful, she admitted.

"Are you alright?" Garrus Vakarian's voice tripped her senses, and she groaned, laying her forehead on her clenched hands.

"What? Do you have a tracking device on me or something?" Shepard muttered.

"Oh, hush," Garrus drawled, and leaned against the balcony beside her, his back to the view, "You took some hard falls."

"Risk of the job," Shepard replied, though there was little abruptness in her tone. She went to straighten up and groaned. She tried to rotate her shoulder and went pale, "Ow."

Garrus straightened and sighed, "Turn around."

"What?"

"Turn around," he lifted a hand and twirled a finger.

"Why?"

"Spirits, woman, you ask too many questions," he moved himself and stood behind her. His hands rested lightly on her shoulders for a moment. She frowned and glanced backward, "What are you…oh gods…"

His thumbs slid into the stone that had replaced her muscles in recent months. She reached out and fumbled for the railing, her head falling forward as she groaned. His thumbs slid up her neck, sliding up the ridges of muscle, and back down again.

Her knees were losing their ability to hold her up. His hands were literally pushing the tension from her muscles. His palms created an incredible frission down her spine, and as he travelled back up, his thumbs smoothed out the muscle either side of her spine. Goosebumps rose on her arms and she didn't care.

When he came back to her neck, and slid up into her scalp, she gave up and leaned back on his chest. It wasn't comfortable. It was ridged. But it was solid. He was a wall to prop herself up on while his hands worked their magic.

"The hell did you learn this, Vakarian?" Shepard groaned when he manipulated a particularly sensitive spot.

"Spectre training," came the bland reply.

She frowned, "What?"

"I'm kidding, Shepard," his chest rumbled against her back.

"I should punch you, but right now…this feels too damn good,"

He rumbled a laugh.

Her omnitool erupted into sound, "Shepard?" it was Shaan. Shepard sighed and rose her hand to her comm. She stepped away from Garrus and spoke to Shaan, "What it is?"

"Where's your location? The hierarchy are taking us out on a tour."

Shepard glanced at Garrus, who stood there with his arms folded across his chest. She took a shaking breath, "I will be right there."

"Roger," Shaan signed off.

"Better go," Shepard rose her hand to rub her neck, before clenching it to drop at her side. She wasn't nervous or worried, damn it.

"See you at dinner," Garrus nodded, and stepped forward before she could move. He touched her cheek, just briefly. She stilled, wary, "You really are an incredible woman, Miri Shepard."

Shepard stepped back, and with a last look at him, turned to head to the shuttles.


	8. Dropped

Shepard lay in bed, her body curiously humming. There was pain, yes, but she was recalling strong hands plying her muscles into a mushy pile of goop. She closed her eyes, dropped her arm over her eyes and groaned. She was getting distracted. That was against the rules.

* * *

The coming days spread to three weeks, and she avoided being alone with Vakarian. She knew he watched her, and could feel the disappointment in her behaviour from him. But she couldn't afford the distraction. She had six months. Six more long, brutal months of training before N7, if she didn't get distracted.

* * *

Garrus stood in the centre of the training floor again, the padded mats were gone, "Using your biotics or tech as part of your hand to hand is like using any other weapon. In the hands of a trained soldier, it will make you formidable. In the hands of an untrained individual, you become a danger to yourselves and your squad. I want you to activate your omnitools or your amps now."

He gave them a moment, and asked the question, "Tell me what you would use in close quarters?" Garrus pointed at Carlos.

"Uhhh, overload, I guess, sir,"

"Overload…you…guess…sir," Garrus echoed slowly. He sighed, and stared down at Carlos, "Once more with a little more confidence, Van Der Giel."

"Overload, sir!" Carlos gave it more oomph, and grinned.

"There you go, lad," Garrus gave him a sympathetic pat, "Griffin?"

"Warp, sir!"

"Why a warp?"

"It causes a shit load of pain for a few moments, distracting them."

"Good choice," Garrus nodded, "Logan?"

The pure biotic of the squad grinned, his face lighting up, "Lift, sir!"

Garrus frowned, "Stupid decision, Logan."

"Sir?" Logan looked crestfallen.

"Takes too long to reload, and you lose control of the fight," Garrus dropped his hand down on Logan's shoulder, "You can't hit them when they are floating near the ceiling."

"Sir…" Logan lowered his head, his dark hair hanging in his eyes.

The other two, Grace and Tython, both claimed overload for their tech of choice.

Garrus pointed at Shepard, "You?"

"Incinerate," her voice was soft.

"Really? Why?" Garrus rose a brow, "That is an extreme choice."

"When I put someone down, I want them to stay down. Blood Pack have a habit of getting back up."

Garrus was silent for a moment, "Alright, come on out here." He gestured for her to join him. She joined him, her expression cautious. He turned to look at them.

"Shields - tech or biotic will be up, people. Do not get dead. I will be pissed if anyone dies on my watch," he turned to nod at Shepard, who used her omnitool to activate her tech armour. His own form flowed and shimmered with his own tech armour.

She clenched her fists, lowering into a balanced stance and watched him warily. He threw a long punch, and she slid aside, gripping his forearm with both hands, yanking him forward. She stepped in with her elbow to smash into the smooth skin just below his arm pit. He twisted, causing her to miss and kneed her in the ribs. She grunted and backed off. While they sought each other's measure, he spoke again:

"I have reach. She has flexibility. We both have strength," his tone was smooth, even as his eyes glowed fiercely as they skimmed her face.

She lashed out with a booted foot while he was talking. He grabbed it, and quick as a whip, she propelled herself in a twist to crash the other boot into his head. He ducked and she caught him on the shoulder. She dropped and rolled, coming up to one knee - deceptively relaxed. But he could see the tension in her shoulders. Garrus threw an overload at her, and she blinked out of existence. It crashed harmlessly into the wall and crackled briefly before extinguishing.

"Tactical cloak," Garrus murmured, and clenched his hands into fists. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to stare into space for a moment. He spun out of the way, but not before taking a vicious kick to the side. Shepard decloaked and followed up with an elbow to the jaw, he blocked and she jammed her fingers into the soft skin under his arm. Garrus grabbed her wrist and twisted it, she snarled with the pain, her tech armour flickering. She tried to reach for the reload but he blocked her arm. He drove a knee up, but she blocked it with her shin, following through with a strike to the unplated inner thigh. He went down on one knee, she hit him on the side of the head. He drove up, his palm touching her chest and she flew backward, an overload shorting her armour.

And she didn't get up. She lay at the feet of the squad, her face grey. Natylia knelt, her fingers seeking the pulse that thrummed at Shepard's throat. She looked up at Garrus, who had hurried to her side, "We need a medic."

* * *

Shepard swam back to consciousness. The room was dark. And it wasn't the barracks. She frowned, and went to rub the pain that sharded through her skull. A sensor attached to the back of her hand caused something in the room to start beeping quietly. She jerked her head as something in her peripheral vision shifted.

"Shepard," the weary voice of Garrus Vakarian sounded and she relaxed…a moment before she tensed again.

"Where am I?" her voice was faintly panicked.

"In the med bay. I hurt you."

"Lights, thirty percent," Shepard ordered, and the room illuminated with a soft glow. She stared at the turian, "What the hell happened?"

"I didn't realise your shields were so low when I hit you with that overload. I threw you across the room," Garrus' subharmonics were thick with self loathing.

Shepard rubbed her brow again. It was throbbing now. She ordered finally, "Sit down."

"Look, Shepard, I…"

Shepard paused, "…please."

He lapsed into silence, and after a moment's hesitation, pulled the chair toward the bed and sat in it. He linked his hands and rubbed his brow with the knuckles. The sound was curious, a soft scritching, even as the gesture was a familiar human one.

"Garrus Vakarian," she began, and paused awkwardly, "Look at me."

He glanced up, his hands still clenched.

"You did nothing wrong," she uttered fiercely, "You took me down. Hell, I was just grateful I lasted as long as I did against a Council Spectre!"

Garrus was still silent, but the desolation in his expression lifted a little.

"I'm not a green recruit, Vakarian," she sought his forearm and curled her calloused, strong fingers around his limb, "I knew what might happen. Hell, I have been knocked out before!" She forced a smile, and squeezed his forearm.

Garrus curled his hand around hers and held it a moment. He stared into her face.

"Why didn't you use your incinerate?" he asked softly.

Shepard paused, and her hand clenched in his. She tried to withdraw it, but he wouldn't let her. She dropped her gaze to the sheets covering her legs.

"Shepard? Why didn't you fight with every tool in your arsenal?" he insisted.

"I…didn't want to," Shepard replied uneasily, still unable to look up, "I wanted you to get back up."

Garrus rose up to his full height. He slipped a taloned hand under her chin and lifted her gaze up to his. Her eyes were luminous in the partial light of the medbay room. He lowered his forehead to rest upon her brow. She seemed startled by the gesture, even as a curious warm feeling coiled in the depth of her stomach. His plates were cool against her head. She pressed a hand against his chest, but it wasn't to push him away.

He lifted her hand to his lip plates and …kissed her faintly blood smeared knuckles. After a moment, he let go, placing her hand back upon the bed with a gentleness that belied his size. She closed her eyes, and rubbed her brow.

"I..need to sleep," she murmured.

"Lights, zero percent," she heard the intonation and opened her eyes. He stood by the door, watching her a moment before opening the portal and slipping out.

* * *

The next morning she stood in the doorway of the barracks. Her squad looked up as Shaan scrambled to his feet. He rushed over to stand next to her and searched her face with a worried expression.

"Hells, woman," he growled, concern etched in his gaze, "You scared the shit out of us."

Shepard laughed softly, "I'm fine. Seriously."

"Damn, I thought the General was going to go nuts. He didn't wait for the medics - he just picked you up and carried you to the med bay himself," Natylia grinned at her, and patted the couch seat beside her.

Shepard limped over, still stiff, and protested, "You have seen me knocked out before. Hell, Griffin, you caused it!" She thumped Natylia gently on the shoulder.

"I'm not pretty much completely in love with you," Natylia slung an arm around Shepard's shoulder, "Much as I admire your ass, I don't feel particularly bad when I kick it."

Shepard stilled, "Don't make jokes." Her voice was very soft.

"Hey," Natylia cupped the back of her hand across Shepard's neck, "I don't usually give unsolicited advice, it can get you punched. And well hell, if you still want to punch me, I figure I can take the hit. But that turian? He's head over heels. God knows why, you can be a complete bitch, and don't think we haven't noticed how you have been avoiding him."

Shepard's face grew dark with anger.

"You didn't incinerate him," Shaan sat on her other side, a hand resting on her knee, "You might have had him in that moment when he was down. But you didn't. You hesitated."

She went pale. And lowered her face to her hands. Natylia looked across her bowed head at Shaan.

"Just..uh…don't get distracted, Shep," Natylia murmured, "I mean…you have six months left."

"I don't plan on it," Shepard snapped, shrugging the comforting hand Shaan rested on her shoulder.

* * *

"General Vakarian sends his apologies, N5 squad, but he has been called back to the Citadel on urgent Spectre business," the new turian instructor intoned stiffly, and droned on as Shaan laid a hand on Shepard's back. She jerked away and stared resolutely ahead. Natylia looked troubled.


	9. Sliding

Shepard stepped off the shuttle and looked at the Villa for the first time in a year. It looked so small now. She had to laugh at how naive she had been. She hefted her duffel onto her back and glanced to her left and right as Shaan and Natylia joined her. The three others had failed N6. She had made it. She was exhausted through to her very core. But she had made it, and got just a tiny bit heartbroken on the way. She hadn't heard from Garrus in six months, and tried not to care that it bothered her.

"Seems strange," Shaan admitted, his handsome face twisting in confusion, "It's like going back to high school."

"Gods forbid /that/ eventuality," Natylia drawled, "I might have to biotically strangle my algebra teacher."

Shepard laughed, a gravelled sound that was rarely heard. She rubbed the new scars that divided her eyebrow and straight down to slice open her cheek to the bone. They itched a little still, and she couldn't help but feel slightly self conscious about them.

"Come on, we have to report to Anderson," Shepard yanked on Shaan's sleeve and he stumbled forward.

* * *

"Congratulations, Commander," David Anderson handed her the N7 insignia she would bear on her chest, as Hackett passed on to the next recruit.

"Thank you, sir," Shepard replied, with a sharp nod. She looked out over the audience - her eyes seeking, and finding those of her sister. She tilted her chin up and smiled. But when her eyes swept over other faces, she wouldn't admit to herself that she was slightly hurt that there wasn't a certain turian watching the ceremony.

The raucous cheer startled her, and there was only moments before she found herself wrapped in the tough arms of Ashley. She returned the embrace fiercely.

"What're you doing here?" she murmured softly.

"It's not every day that your sister becomes an N7. I got 24 hours leave. I need to head out in another hour," Ashley kissed her noisily on the cheek.

"Erk!" Shepard swiped the cheek in mock disgust.

Ashley laughed, and sobered a little as she touched the new scar with gentleness.

"What happened?"

"Something a lot preferable than what might have happened," Shepard touched Ashley's chin, "I had a good hand to hand teacher. Luckily."

"Come on, I have an hour," Ashley slung an arm around Shepard's shoulder, "Let's get a drink."

Anderson watched the sisters depart.

"When should we tell her what her first assignment is?"

The Admiral took a sip of the obligatory celebratory champagne, "When her sister leaves."

"Yes, sir," Anderson shifted uneasily. He had heard the rumours from Palaven.

* * *

"Stay safe," Shepard waved as Ashley stepped onto the shuttle. She pasted a smile on her face, and stood watching until the vehicle was a speck in the sky.

"Commander Shepard, will you come to the CIC, please," she heard Anderson's voice over her comm.

"Aye, sir," Shepard acknowledged.

* * *

Shepard saluted sharply.

"Shepard, come in," Anderson gestured. He was standing near the central table, a map illuminated on its surface, standing beside him was a turian with red markings on his face, and Admiral Hackett.

"This is General Victus," Anderson gestured toward the turian and Shepard regarded him thoughtfully before saluting.

"Shepard, we have your first assignment," Hackett's hoarse voice filled the room with its power. She snapped to attention.

"You recently spent time in the Skyllian Verge," he continued, glancing up at her face. She could feel his eyes tracing the scar on her face.

"Yes, sir."

"You know the lay of the land in regards to the Blue Suns in that area?" more of a question.

"As well as anyone, sir…" Shepard was cautious.

Victus interrupted, "General Garrus Vakarian was on assignment in Zorya, square in Blue Suns territory. We have had no communication from him in a week."

Shepard folded her arms in front of her, "So what?" She tried to ignore the flutter of panic in her gut. Garrus was…where?

"The turian military can't go in there without causing a diplomatic incident," Victus replied, "The Citadel will not respond. The Spectres are their arm, but they eschew responsibility if one ends up in trouble."

"So you want me to do what?"

"You," Hackett spoke, typing rapidly and bringing up the map of Zorya, "will select a small strike team. Get the lay of the land. See if you can find out what happened to General Vakarian."

* * *

"Wow," Shaan collapsed back on the couch, "Seriously?"

"Yep," Shepard stared out of the window, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Well, I mean, it makes a certain kind of sense," Natylia replied dubiously.

"If you are ready, I will leave tonight," Shepard glanced back at them, "I know you are entitled to leave, we all are. But I'm asking this of you. I need your help." Her hand fisted on her bicep.

"Did you hear that?" Shaan asked Natylia casually.

"I believe I did," Natylia replied cheerfully. He jerked his head toward the reticent Commander. They stood as one, a pair forged by hard training, and moved to flank her sides.

"I believe the Commander just asked for help," Shaan leaned a forearm on her shoulder.

Natylia motioned wiping her eyes, "It's making me positively misty-eyed." She sniffed.

"I hate you guys," Shepard grumbled.

"Awww," Shaan chuckled.

"We get to take down some mercs? That can only be fun!" Natylia looped her solidly muscular arm around Shepard's shoulders.

"Yeah. Fun," Shepard repeated drily.

* * *

Shepard peered down her scope, and murmured into the comm, "Three on the bridge."

"Got it," came the reply. A blurred figure smashed into one of them, and fired with a shotgun. Shepard shot the shaken armoured merc through the head. She reloaded. The second exploded into meaty chunks with a carnage blow and the third took a shot to the chest from Shaan right before Shepard shot her.

She swung her scope, "There are four coming up from the building."

"Got 'em," Shaan drawled. He sent a shockwave toward the approaching mercs who were firing wildly. They smashed into walls and skidded on the floor. He powered up a charge, as Shepard shot the nearest. He crunched into the second merc and shot him square in the face. Natylia took down the third with a steady stream of bullets. The fourth shook her shields and he rocked as Shepard shot him in the chest. He staggered and two guns fired simultaneously, blasting him off his feet. Shaan grinned and stepped up beside Natylia, "Brilliant."

Shepard stood and jumped down a couple of levels. Her boots rang on the metal scaffolding as she approached. Looking down at the carnage with a cold gaze, she collapsed the sniper rifle and took out her close quarters weapon.

"Now things get interesting," she powered up her disruptor ammo, "They know we are coming."

The sound of alarms rent the air.

* * *

Shepard slid into position behind a barrier and glanced around the corner. The mercs had taken up position into cover and dug in. She could see the door on the opposite side of the room. And it was barred. Barred and bolted. With good old-fashioned iron. She grinned. Piece of cake.

She laid down cover fire, then cloaked as Shaan and Natylia came up.

"When you are ready," she heard Shaan murmur. She crept down the hallway, could see the terrified expressions on the mercs. She lifted her pistol, and gave the signal…shooting the nearest merc in the head. Shaan smashed into the group, his shotgun loud in the narrow hallway.

Natylia fired continuously. Shepard spun into cover, took a couple of breaths and leaned out to shoot again. The mercs suddenly realised they had two killers amongst them and panicked. Shepard threw an incinerate and one of them flailed in horror. She shot him to put him out of his misery. And in moments they stood panting in the hallway. Shepard wiped the sweat from her brow before turning to look at the door. She tilted her head.

"So, that's gonna be…" Shaan muttered.

She powered up her tech and blew the door from its hinges.

"…difficult?" he finished with a chuckle, "Nice."

Shepard ignored them and walked into the room. She activated her omnitool to hack the system and bring up the lights. The overheads came on. She made a distressed sound in her throat.

Garrus was stripped to the waist, seated in filth and chained to the wall. He was limp against the bindings and dark blue blood slowly dripped from several wounds. His hands were bound tightly together in his lap and the manacles had made scratch marks on the metal plates. He had fought against the bindings.

"Garrus," Shepard breathed out and dropped to a knee in front of him. Hesitantly, she touched his face, trying to lift his heavy head up.

Shaan dropped down and activated his omnitool. He applied medigel to the wounds, and they started to close, slowly. He coughed and it was a horrible, wet sound.

"Garrus!" Shepard touched his face gently, "Garrus? Open your eyes."

"Miri?" he murmured, and though it seemed to take great effort his blue eyes sleepily cracked open. His hands tried to reach for her. She clasped his hands with her own, lending him strength where he did not have it, and rested her forehead on his own. He coughed again and his hands went limp in her own as he slipped back to unconsciousness.

"He's bad, Shepard," Shaan muttered, "And the mercs might regroup. We have to get him out of here."

Shepard rose to her feet, her eyes glinting dangerously, "Get him out." Her voice was low, and harsh.

"Shepard…" Natylia's voice was sharp, "Come on. Hold it together. He needs you."

"Get him out," Shepard grabbed Natylia by the front of her armour and yanked her face to face, "I will clear the way."

"Shepard…" Natylia tried again, but Shepard was gone. The sounds of gunfire and the screams of the dying could be heard echoing down the corridor.

"Come on," Natylia hurried to Garrus' side, "This guy is going to weigh a tonne." She knelt down, and slipped her arm across his back and heaved him upright. She staggered under the deadweight.

"Hit him with more gel, Shaan," Natylia demanded, "He needs to be semi-conscious for this."

Shaan activated the medigel again and Garrus swayed in her grasp, a little strength returning to his legs.

"Miri," the name tumbled from his lips again, and his hand flexed on Natylia's shoulder.

"She's giving us time to get out," Shaan spoke confidently, "Come on, General. Let's not waste that time." He stood on Garrus' other side. He activated the comm, "Nerys?" he called for their pilot, "we have the General. Shepard is clearing us out. Swing in to the outdoor landing pad."

* * *

They got Garrus to the shuttle, tumbling him in. Natylia grabbed a sniper rifle from her set and extended the sights. It wasn't her speciality, but she was proficient enough. She scanned the compound. A door burst open, Shepard was backing out, firing constantly with her pistol. She set fire to several mercs at the front of the pack pursuing her before turning to make a run for it.

Natylia focused more sharply and could see Shepard's grim expression. She had been hit a couple of times, rends in her armour. Refocusing she started firing - the sound echoing in the shuttle.

"Get ready to take off, Nerys," Shaan ordered. He got out of the shuttle and powered up a shockwave. And held it…and held it. As Shepard sprinted past him and collapsed, gasping, onto the shuttle floor beside the now unconscious turian, he let it fly. The overpowered biotic use exhausted him, but it broke their lines. Natylia grabbed him and yanked him into the shuttle.

"Go!" Shaan shouted.

"Punching it," Nerys replied coolly, her voice a balm in the panic.

Shepard heaved herself up onto a seat, dropped her head into bloody hands and closed her eyes.

"What happened?" Shaan asked softly, "We lost track of you."

"I made it out, didn't I?" her voice was bleak, with none of it's usual harshness.

"Yeah, you did," Natylia rested her hand on Shepard's shoulder, "And we got him out."

"The medbay on the ship has been alerted?" Shepard asked, the same eerie flat tone to her voice.

"Yeah, they know we are incoming."

* * *

Shepard sat beside Garrus' bed in medbay. She had showered and changed into her N7 tank and clean cargo pants. The doc hadn't been able to make her shift, one look into her eyes, and he backed off without another word. Garrus had been put under using drugs while turian anti-biotics and medigel went to work on his wounds. They were healing slowly.

The ships clocks said it was 3am when he stirred, coming out of the haze. Shepard slept, her head cocked uncomfortably on the back of the chair she had borrowed from the doctor's station. He was in his cabin and didn't need it.

Garrus turned his head and realised he wasn't in that godforsaken room. He wasn't in pain. And…Shepard sat next to his bed.

"Shepard," he spoke, his voice still hoarse.

She started awake, dark eyes confused for a moment, and she stood to touch his shoulder, "Garrus!"

"You came after me?"

"I was ordered to," a grim half smile curved her lips, "I think they figured I would have carved through half of the Blue Suns ranks to get to you."

Garrus lifted his hand and touched her cheek, "Why?"

"I should think that was perfectly obvious," she curled her fingers around his arm and touched him on that soft skin in his elbow.

"Shepard…"

"Look…wait a moment," Shepard held up a hand to stop whatever he would say, "I have to get this out. After that - you can what you are going to say."

He nodded.

"You changed me," she began, "Not all the way…but you made me think. I blamed you for nearly making me fail my N1 training, and looking back on it, what you said, I was an idiot."

"Shepard…" he tried again.

"I was so focused on N-training, on passing, on being the best, I shut down everything I was feeling for you. On Palaven…that's when I knew for sure. When you left, and I couldn't speak to you…" she shook her head, "…I knew. I was so angry at you for leaving, for not listening to what I said. I'm not a moron, I know you left because you thought you had hurt me, but…"

"Shepard," Garrus' voice gentled, "Stop." He touched the back of his talons against her cheek, "Just…stop."

Shepard paled and released his arm and shoved her hands into her pockets, "Damn, sorry. I'm an idiot. Look, uh…" her skin darkened with embarrassment, "…forget I said anything. This is nuts. I'm tired. Let's just put it down to tiredness."

Garrus' talons traced into her hair and he cupped the back of her head. With no small amount of effort he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His chest was bare, the plates elegantly curved over his torso, the surface scratched and scraped by a lifetime of fighting.

"You beautiful, strong woman," he spoke finally, not allowing her to back off. Even sitting, on the elevated bed, his face was nearly level with her own, "Headstrong, and a little insane," he rumbled a chuckle, and she glanced up, a little of the wariness leaving her eyes, "But still the loveliest thing I have ever laid eyes on."

"Your eyes need checking," Shepard belied her sharp tone by touching him on the chest. He tugged her forward and she slid her hand to the back of his head. He tilted his head and kissed her gently. His arms slid around her, pressing strong fingers into the muscles of her back. She sighed against him.

"You are soft, and yet not soft all at the same time," Garrus murmured, breaking the kiss, "I have wanted to do that since Earth."

"I probably would have laid you flat," Shepard admitted, tracing his jaw with rough fingertips.

"You are a violent woman," Garrus rumbled that laugh that drove heat into her groin.

"Well, duh," Shepard kissed him again, her hands cupping his face, "But for now, you need your rest, and this is not getting rest."

"Don't go," his voice was a dark vibration of a sudden.

"Don't do that," she whispered against his lips, "Or I can't resist."

"I don't want you to resist," he tugged her sharply, and she tumbled over him, already offbalance, and booted feet tangling with bare turian legs. He stilled her struggles by running his talons up her back. Goosebumps rose on her arms.

"I won't go," Shepard hovered over him for a moment, shifting cautiously to take her weight off him, "But you will rest. And my alarm goes off in a couple of hours. The doc will be back on at seven."

"I can deal with that," Garrus shifted on the bed, giving her room. She curled around him, pliable human flesh meeting solid turian, and closed her eyes.

Garrus lay there, wide awake, ignoring the tug of the drugs, his fingertips tracing her back in rhythmic circles.

* * *

Shaan rose a brow, his hands in his pockets, "You think…like…she remembers that there are windows looking into there?"

"Probably not, but she's gonna be pissed when she finds out," Natylia spooned soup into her mouth with steady dedication. Shaan picked up his cup of coffee.

"They make a cute couple," Shaan drawled.

"She will definitely be pissed if she hears you say that," she pointed her spoon at Shaan.

"You are going to tell her, aren't you?" Shaan gained a longsuffering look.

"Oh yeah," Natylia nodded.

"Wench."

"Better believe it," her smile was beatific.

"Hurry up," he complained.

"Hey, I need my strength," Natylia took her time with the last few mouthfuls. When she set aside her bowl, he stood and yanked her to her feet and captured her mouth with his own. After a few moments, they took off to their quarters, hand in hand.


	10. Taming

A/N Some sexytime for Shep and Garrus. Be warned.

* * *

Shepard swam back to wakefulness when she felt the curve of Garrus' talons sliding into her hair and over her back…under her shirt. She shivered and slid her leg between his.

"Lights, zero percent, don't need to give anyone a floor show," she murmured, plunging the medbay into darkness while she slid her hand up his torso, feeling the rough plates and memorising the sensation, "I guess you are feeling better."

"Mmmhmmm," he pulled her inexorably toward him, his lips meeting hers. She hesitantly touched her tongue to his lips, and she felt his groan rumble through his chest. His tongue tangled with hers, and she could feel the sensation of his sharply pointed teeth, and the slightly less dagger like ones behind his lip plates. He was cautious, she could feel his restraint.

"I had this instructor," she broke the kiss, and stared into his eyes with slumberous intensity, "Who told me all about the…sensitive spots on a turian's body."

She stretched up and kissed the soft skin under his jaw. And bit. Gently. Before licking it. He made a growling sound and tugged her hard against his groin. She gave a soft laugh full of dark promise as she rolled her groin against him. Her fingernails traced his ribs, just under his arms, where the plates were nonexistent. She felt him shudder under her touch.

"Here," she whispered against his neck, and slid down to the skin of his upper thighs, "And here. Who knew I could render a turian helpless by doing this? I think you should teach more of this. I think you were a good instructor."

Garrus rumbled low in his chest, "As long as it's only this turian." He nipped the skin of her neck and she tilted her head back, "You are wearing too many clothes, Shepard." He lightly scratched her ridged belly with his talons. She made a strangled sound in the depth of her throat. He slid lower, lightly scratching over her groin. She gasped and curved her nails into the plates on his arm.

"Though it seems like I can easily steal your breath," he murmured.

She made another gasping sound as he pressed a little harder. She rocked against his hand, her eyes closed, her teeth worrying her lower lip. He held her against him with one strong arm, while the other drew her pleasure to a peak. She moaned in frustration and her fingers went to her waist to undo the buttons. She flicked them open, drew down the zipper and shoved underwear and the black fabric to her knees, but was hindered by her boots.

"Fuck it," she snarled, glancing upward into his amused face. And immediately wiped the smile from his face as she grasped his emerging length. She caressed him and his eyes closed. His voice was rough when he touched his brow to her own.

"It's been a while, Shepard…don't…" he grunted, and yanked her hand away from him and clamped it into place over her head.

"I want you in me," Shepard kissed his neck and licked his jaw, "Now."

And levering himself over her, cautious of metal plates meeting bone, he slid into her, inch by inexorable inch. She groaned, closing her eyes, and slid a hand down his back. He supported his weight, watching her face carefully as he stroked within her slowly.

"Gods, Garrus," she drew her knee up slightly and cursed the pants. He laughed, stopping the motion of his hips, the sound vibrating into her. She bit him again on the neck and yanked him deeper, "I have waited a year for this," she whispered, "Now would be a good time to start moving."

They clutched at each other, the awkwardness of the narrow bed and half clothed Commander, their unfamiliarity with each other's form. But oh, it was good. They clashed, and struggled and fought for their release. When it came, Shepard screamed it into his chest, muffling the sound. He cried out and strangled the sound against her hair, and afterward they lay, limbs entangled.

Shepard's head jerked up when the alarm on her omnitool sounded.

"Shit!" she scrambled up and nearly fell out of bed as her pants nearly tangled her up. She barely got them yanked up and her hands scraped through her hair and back into her chair just before the doctor unlocked the medbay and came in.

"Lights ten percent," she heard him say and pointed fiercely at Garrus who lay with his hands behind his head, a smug look on his face.

"How's the patient?" Morris came up and tapped some keys on the observation machine. He frowned, "Huh." He looked at Garrus, who stared back with innocent equanimity.

"Are you feeling alright, sir?" he asked, turning back to his machines, "Just that your heart rate spiked not so long ago."

Garrus just glanced at Shepard and said blandly, "Just waking up from a dream, Doc."

"Yes, I suppose with what you have been through, that is only natural. If you have trouble sleeping, just let me know," Morris recorded the information and stepped away, he glanced back at Shepard, "You might want to go get some rack time, ma'am. You can't have slept well in that chair."

"Oh, a couple bruises, and a stiff neck, but I'm fine," Shepard levered herself upright, "I'm glad you are feeling better..General."

They held each other's gaze for a long moment, "I will come visit…when I have got my strength back."

Morris saluted as she walked out and dragged his chair back to his desk. Garrus just leaned back, breathing her scent in while he closed his eyes.

* * *

"Had a good night, Shepard? Slept well?" Shaan asked her, his blue eyes regarding her with innocence.

"Fine," Shepard replied abruptly, devouring her breakfast.

He linked his hands together, and rested his elbows on the table and his chin was propped on the knuckles. He smiled.

"What?" Shepard scowled, stilling her fork.

"Hungry?"

"So what?" Shepard looked down at her nearly empty plate.

"Nothing," Shaan leaned back in his chair and linked his hands over his belly, his booted feet crossing at the ankles as he stretched out his long legs.

Shepard dropped her fork on her plate and glared at him, "I can still kick your ass, Shaan."

He smiled broadly, "I know, Shepard."

She picked up her plate and dumped it on the cleaning racks for the kitchen. She turned back and moved toward Shaan. She propped a hand on the back of his chair, the other on the table and hovered over him. A smile curved her lips.

"If anyone finds out, I can assure you, no one will find the body," she murmured.

Shaan grinned up at her, unwavered by her severity, "I love you too, honey."

Shepard grumbled and stalked off.

"Say hi for me!" he shouted after her.

She flipped him her middle finger in a specific gesture. He laughed.


	11. Future

(A/N The final chapter for the Taming of Shepard. A little more sexytime for the fans! Thanks for the great reviews and feedback!)

* * *

Shepard woke, faceplanted in her pillow, tucked up against what felt like a wall of rough steel. She smiled, and stretched slowly, luxuriously, a little sore from a night of figuring out where all Garrus' sensitive spots were.

His arms came around her, pinning her in place. He mumbled a sleepy protest, so she did nothing more than lay still while he seemed to drift off again. For someone partially made of what seemed to be metal, he was remarkably warm. Shepard's fingertips slid down the leg that had been thrown over hers, entangling them to prevent her getting out of bed. There was a little spot just on the back of the knee…ahh…there. He made a small sound in his sleep and she felt things…shift against her hip. A wicked smile curved her lips.

She skimmed up the plates to his hip, and found the soft skin of his inner thigh. Hello there, Garrus, she nearly chuckled out loud, as he hardened. Turians weren't so different to humans after all. With a bit of a wiggle, she managed to manoeuver so that his length was pressed against her butt.

With sudden strength, she was startled when her hand was captured and planted to the bed beside her head. His weight pressed her into the bed and his leg shifted to nudge hers further apart.

"I thought you had enough last night," Garrus murmured against her hair, before he nipped the soft skin of her neck. He pressed his length into the crack of her butt, and she gasped.

"Mmmm," Shepard sighed, and tried to shift under him. His hold tightened, and she writhed a little, excitement twisting into dark smoke in her belly. She turned her head to try to look at him, but he was too close, too…hot.

"Oh…gods," she moaned as he slid into her depths, tilted her head back, and revealed the silky skin of her throat. He licked her there, before thrusting fiercely upward, and she rewarded him with a cry, "Ahh!"

Garrus withdrew and began that brain fizzing rhythm that made her forget her own name. Shepard thrust herself backward, as much as she could. She cried out his name into her pillow, muffling the sound, as he released her hand and carefully circled a calloused fingertip against her nub. She was trapped, clutching at the sheets, and had no desire to go elsewhere.

"Gods, Garrus," she finally gasped out, hooking a foot around the spur at his knee, trying to get leverage, and opening herself for easier access.

Garrus wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back onto him, his other hand still busy at her groin. She whimpered aloud, her head tilting back to rest on his cowl, and his thrusts increased their pace.

"Oh, yes…yes," she murmured, her hands clutching at his arms, "Oh yes…harder! Yes!"

Garrus bit her earlobe and she turned her head into her shoulder to muffle the scream as her orgasm hit with lightning force. He pulled himself out from her, and used the juncture of her thighs to maintain friction while he thrust a few more times, and spent himself on the bed. Shepard went limp in his arms, but he did not release his embrace. It took a few minutes but she turned over, the top of her head tucked under his chin, her breath washing over his neck.

"That was smokin', General Vakarian," she murmured, "I don't think I will walk for a week after these few days."

A rumbling laugh vibrated through his chest into her, and she tightened her embrace. His hands slid up and down her back, a comfort now rather than arousal - though that never hovered too far from the surface.

"Back on duty tomorrow, eh?" Garrus murmured into her hair.

"You too," she sighed.

"We will always have Rio, Shepard," his hand came to a rest on her butt, and she slid her leg over his own.

"Mmmm hmmm," Shepard shifted to gaze into his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something. Then closed it again. She smiled, "I will miss you, arrogant turian."

"And I, you, impossible human," Garrus' talons traced carefully through her hair and over her cheekbones.

She touched his mandibles, a delicate tracing of the curves and closed her eyes with a sigh.

* * *

Shepard took a sip from her coffee, seated on the front porch of the small cabin she and Garrus had disappeared to for this leave. Their last day. The lake was smooth today, the mountains surrounded by a misty fog. She smiled as she read the mail from Ash.

HEY YOU. I'M THROUGH. I'M TIRED, BUT I'M THROUGH. KAIDAN DIDN'T MAKE IT. HE GOT HURT BY SOME PIRATES ON A MISSION LAST MONTH AND COULDN'T KEEP UP PHYSICALLY. HE WAS SO DISAPPOINTED, BUT KNEW HE WOULD JUST ENDANGER THE SQUAD. VEGA STILL GOING STRONG. ON ALL COUNTS. LOVE YOU AND I'M SO PROUD. GIVE GARRUS MY BEST - I FIGURE HE IS WITH YOU ON LEAVE. WORD GETS AROUND!

She sent back a reply:

I'M PROUD OF YOU TOO. DIG DEEP AND YOU WILL FIND THE COURAGE YOU NEED TO FINISH. YOU ARE N6 NOW. I AM GIVING YOUR CONTACT DETAILS TO MY OLD SQUAD - SHAAN AND NATYLIA GRIFFIN. THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK YOU UP WHEN I CAN'T. LOVE YOU, LITTLE SISTER. STAY SAFE.

"You want toast?" came the call from the kitchen.

"Yes, thanks," she called back, and tucking her legs up under her, she sighed in happiness. She had to laugh. A year before, she couldn't have imagined herself sitting her like this.

* * *

Shepard saluted Anderson sharply, "Good morning, sir!"

"Good morning, Commander Shepard," Anderson glanced up from his terminal, "I hope you had a relaxing leave?"

Shepard cleared her through, and forced herself not to blush, "Yes, sir."

"Good," he tapped a few keys and then stood up, coming around the table, "I have received a new posting."

Frowning at his conversational tone, Shepard just nodded agreeably, "The ICP programme will miss your presence, sir."

"Oh, they will get along just fine," Anderson flicked his fingers, "I expect you have heard about a new ship that has been produced. A joint project between turian and human engineers."

"Yes, sir, the Normandy project. It is believed that it is faster and runs more silent than any other ship in the Alliance fleet," Shepard acknowledged, linking her hands behind her back.

"You are well informed," Anderson smiled at her, "I'm to be its new Captain."

"Sir, congratulations," Shepard returned the smile, "That's a great honour."

"Oh, it is," Anderson was agreeable, "However, I find myself in need of an XO I can trust to keep the crew in line and with the guts to stand up and give their opinion. Are you that person, Shepard?"

"I…" Shepard was stunned, "…yes. Yes, I believe I am, sir."

"Welcome aboard, Commander,' Anderson held out his hand, and she took it dazedly.

* * *

Shepard paced, her duffel packed at her feet, ready to toss into the shuttle that would transport her to the Normandy. She checked the time, 1950 hours. Soon. She glanced toward the vast buildings of the villa, and it was with relief that she saw Garrus finally approach, clad in the dark tunic he wore when not in armour. Her eyes glowed with her excitement as she met him halfway. They were almost alone up here, only the guards, and they didn't seem to give a damn.

Garrus looked down at her, "The Normandy will suit you, Shepard." He stared at her admiringly, "It already does."

"It's an amazing opportunity," she shook her head, "I can hardly imagine it! We are taking her on a run to the Citadel first, blow out the cobwebs after sitting in dock all this time."

Garrus chuckled, and glanced up as the shuttle she was to take with Anderson arrived. He sobered a little.

"You stay safe, alright?" he watched her face intently as she turned to look at the vehicle. Anderson strode toward it from the offices. He raised a hand to her in greeting, a nod for Garrus, and he stepped within. Two guards loaded his waiting gear. He didn't have much. She glanced back to Garrus.

"I had better go."

"Yes, you should," Garrus nodded.

"Walk with me?" she asked softly.

They got back to her duffel and she picked it up. Shepard looked up at him, hesitation in her eyes. But she could not wait. Approaching the shuttle, she handed her bag to a guard, who loaded it.

"Good bye, General," she smiled at him, and held out her hand.

"Until next time," he took her hand and held it in his own. She stepped up into the darkened depths and glanced at Anderson. The Captain was focused on his datapad, hardly paying attention. She turned back to Garrus and bit her lip thoughtfully, her eyes on his.

"Ready, sirs?" the pilot called over the comm.

"Both on board, Lieutenant Esa," Anderson replied, "Let's go."

Shepard tugged her hand reluctantly from Garrus' as the doors began to close. Finally, she mouthed the words, I love you, as the doors sealed shut. His eyes had widened, so she knew he had understood her.

The shuttle powered up and Shepard was forced to find her seat. She buckled in, leaned back and stared out of the window. She could see Garrus standing there, his hands in the pockets of his tunic. He raised one in farewell. She watched until the Villa was but a blur on the horizon, then glanced up at the night sky and smiled.

Who knew what the future would bring?


End file.
